Thats.Just.Life

The Last 6 Months

2010-08-14T22:23:00.002+08:00

The Last 6 Months

Its definitely been a long time since I returned here to post about stuff. The last 6 months has definitely passed by like a whirlwind, and it seems like yesterday when I boarded the plane for the United Kingdom. Indeed, this is the epitome of the saying "time flies when you're having fun". And I did had fun. In fact, so much fun that returning to my home Singapore has been pretty difficult. There, I lead a life that was close to ideal.

But ideals are never possible, are they?

I still hope that they are. And Europe has opened up horizons and perspectives that I never had. Realising that everything in this world is relative (except for God) was perhaps the most important lesson I learnt. What we see and how we judge are often in the eyes shaped by the cultures we were born in. How then, can our personal opinions hold any strength anymore? It is much like ethics, where there are a dozen and one different ways to be ethical, yet seem unethical by someone else. A situation where simple logic doesn't prevail, where economics take a backseat and simple emotions and unguided feelings take centerstage. Perhaps, no one but God could ever be considered "right".

Home has been redefined. Its it now to me a place where we accept as our own despite the obvious failings it possesses. Singapore, my home. Although I see very clearly its faults and its ugly sides, it still is the place where I would give my life to defend. Indeed, it is amazing how a symbol like "country" can lead men to such conclusions.

5 months of exploring the world, 1 month for exploring myself. And it was, alone in Italy, that I managed to spend a little more time knowing myself, and tossing around questions that lead me closer to who I am. I'm glad to say I've come out a little more familiar with myself, even with the demons that lurk within me. The challenge now is beating them.

And now, back in (un)familiar surroundings, I continue to turn the pages of my life, looking back on the most fantastic side story that could be akin to Alice and Wonderland. Would I ever be able to return to that Wonderland? I sure hope so, for I know I'll miss this sensation for the rest of my life.

Hello 2010

2010-01-01T21:09:00.002+08:00

Hello 2010

And as the curtain close on 2009, just like many other people in the world, its time to do a little reflection on what has happen throughout the year that has just passed us by. Of course, I'll just do my best to structure it (similar to 2007) so that anyone who reads it would get a nice idea on how the various facets of my life have played out:

Spiritual Matters

I think I probably should have grown stronger. I have also seen some very positive things in Jurong this year, especially towards the end of the year, thanks in part due to the smashing Family Camp, the Men's Fellowship programs and also the end of year Big (Bigger) Bash. Each contributed to closer bonds between members, both adults and youth alike. Also, I believe that the ICs have understood that there is an impetus for change, and I really hope they will be able to organize the congregation into a cohesive force, putting capable men in the areas where they can better serve the congregation with their talents. There are just so many areas in the ministry of the congregation that have been left vacant (or unidentified) that can be better served. I know its difficult to really understand and identify which and how best we can put them together.

I would have loved many times to put in my two-cents worth into helping to plan out the execution of plans, but I must ashamedly admit that it is a colossal task that I do not want to take up at this point of time. Perhaps if I were younger and more gung-ho, I would have gladly volunteered. But I hope that in time, I will be able to step forward with something that would benefit the congregation.

"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole boy fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

Every member might be likened to a fiber of muscle within the body. And each member is just as important in his/her function in the Church. And so, we must be able to put each muscle fiber to where it belongs, and ensure each functions healthily for the Church to grow. May Jurong grow up healthily and develop.

School Matters

School has been a relative blast for me! As of now, my grades have settled into a position whereby I need to fight to maintain my current GPA to graduate with the grades that I have targeted myself to achieve. Nothing too spectacular, yet decent enough to say that I have did a pretty good job in my educational efforts.

CCA-wise, I'm still having fun Windsurfing and Fencing. No other sports have given me so much joy and enthusiasm like these two, and though I'm for from being considered good in either of them, I enjoy them to my very core and would love to continue in them for as long as I can, and hopefully to excel in them one day.

I've met a new bunch of very good friends as well. And as my social circle slowly grows, I'm reminded of the blessings in this area. Through my life, I've always been blessed by fantastic friends. Everyone of them have been pretty good influences in many ways, myself wanting to learn from each of their good points. Every one of them have brought cheer, laughter and unforgettable experiences in my life. Thank you all for being my friends. I wish I could name every one of you here, but the list would be endless.

Personal Matters

Once again, another year that has schooled me in the ways of love. Not all personal experiences, yet its as if I could apply many of the lessons to my self. If love was a roller-coaster, then compared to last year, I'm overall a little higher than last year ^^. No elaborations haha. A little ambiguity is always fun. But I'm happily enjoying singlehood this year, more than ever.

Future Matters

I'll probably be leaving Singapore on 17th January for Europe and will be back in July. Its exciting, yet at the same time a little scary. Exciting cos the chapter that will open up is one of endless possibilities and experiences. Scary cos of the unknown ending as well as the while bunch of friends and family that I will be leaving behind. Scary cos I know I will be helpless to do anything to affect the events that may happen in Singapore. Suddenly I sound like a control freak :p

And after that, 1 final year of school before graduation and my return to the Force. I am growing old, and I feel it in my fingers, toes, and any other joints you can possibly think of. But with age comes maturity and new chapters in life. The pages will only continue to be flipped, and I must do my best to fill each pages with as many things as possible.

I look forward to 2010. Happy 2010 everyone!

Momentum

2009-12-29T22:50:00.002+08:00

Momentum

Realized that I've been blogging more in the past few weeks than the rest of the year combined, so why not carry on that momentum? Its been a great holiday, lots of training, food, projects even, and a fantastic Family Camp in Desaru. Its a pity the Taiwan trip didn't materialize, or that its been such a gloomy and rainy period of time, or that I've been too busy to windsurf as much as I wished. Nonetheless, its been one of my happiest holiday periods to date. I would love to wrap up my year in this post, but there are just too many things.

Once again, more friends have returned, and some have left. Soon I'll be joining that crowd and leaving for my own adventure out there in Europe, living a truly independent life, needing to adapt, and to plan my time and finances all the more strictly. I wonder how I'll stand up to the challenge. But I know that it would be a great learning experience. I doubt that anything can replace this chapter that is to come. So many pages, and the protagonist has near zero idea how the script is going to play out. That would take the fun out of it wouldn't it?

I know I'll leave with mixed feelings. To leave so many loved ones back in Singapore would definitely leave me with a tinge of sadness and longing. But yet the compelling glitter over the horizon leads me to understand that I must go and have my adventure, and return to tell the tale, even more cherishing the ties that remain strong despite the separation of time and space.

December taught me about friendship and of patience. And as 2010 comes and new beginnings dawn, I must again make my resolutions and keep them. I felt that I had kept resolutions last year (with the help of backtracking to that post and re-assessing them). That was a nice surprise, for I had kept them without really having to remind myself. Of course, I wouldn't say I achieved them perfectly, but I believe that I had done an adequate job.

I only have one resolution this coming year.

To be more empathetic. To be more aware of the needs and feelings of others, without which I cannot minister. That would serve to better complete myself as a person and a good servant. Something that I have admittedly been lacking severely. I can't just call myself "kayu" all the time and accept it as an inherent weakness that I cannot change right?

I think its a real challenge to keep this one. But i'll do my very best. In itself, that's an irony! Empathy cannot be forced. Which just made it all the more harder.

New Skin

2009-12-26T12:41:00.002+08:00

New Skin

Whew.. after looking for a new skin for my blog, here you go! At least the images are around! Of course, this doesn't mean I'll be blogging super often, just that I come in enough times so that the missing images became a irritating problem.

New Year is coming!

Visitation

2009-12-26T11:32:00.004+08:00

Visitation

I did something that I would never have thought of doing before: checking out a City Harvest worship service. It was their Christmas service, held on Christmas Eve. Of course, the curiosity of how such a service would be like coupled with a desire to accompany someone in need finally pushed me into making that decision. Looking back, I guess it was a good experience for me personally, a learning experience that strengthened my faith and commitment to what is true worship to God.

In all fairness, the production that was put up for us: a play that depicted the story of how Christ came into the world (a little blown up and also a little offensive to me at one point cos Joseph and his buddies - more of his buddies, were drinking like mad and getting drunk). But it was indeed close to esplanade-level, testimony of the huge resources, money and humans alike, that CHC possesses. And it was indeed entertaining and touching. Many times I did quiver from the emotions that were in that play. But after all is said and done, it was just that - entertaining.

I can't say for sure whether a play on its own was doctrinal. But I do know that there is only one way of converting people to Christ, and that is through preaching:

"for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe - 1 Cor 1:21".

In comparison to what CHC practices, my congregation is a far cry from the compelling power of bringing people to come forward. But it isn't about the speaker, nor the special effects, the music, the emotions that is the point. It is the simple, unadulterated Word of God that has the power to convict people:

"for the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even unto the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart - Heb 4:12".

People have asked me if I have ever thought of leaving the Church, or the congregation that I worship in. The Church? No. The Congregation? Perhaps. But I know that there will only be one factor that matters in this decision, which is God. Granted, where I worship is nowhere near perfect. Many times I have been exasperated about the attitudes, the enthusiasm, the zeal, the ability and commitment of many members. But they are just as I am, human, imperfect, sinners. Are they serving me? No! But they are serving God, as I do, and the master pays the wages. The diligent workers will be rewarded, just like the parable of the talents (Mt 25:14-30). My responsibility is to use my talents to the best I can, and do my best to encourage those around me to do the same. Therefore, despite all the disappointments I feel at times, only if the congregation falls into sin would I ever think of leaving Jurong.

But there are positive things to learn from CHC. I was truly impressed by the warmth and the zeal that many people had. The commitment to use their strengths, their abilities, and to truly put them into "service" to the Lord. Whether doctrinal or not, that very attitude is one that is truly commendable. It showed me what a congregation is able to achieve. The basement auditorium of CHC is perhaps 4 or 5 times larger than ours. If Jurong is able to organize herself such that it can do what CHC is able to do, I believe that we can be many many times a better worker for the Lord.

Some endnotes:

Christmas is not Christ's birthday. It never was, and never will. I'm sorry if I do not give out gifts or wish you merry christmas freely, because of that simple reason. But rest assured that the love and care that I feel for everyone is always the same. Christ only asked us to commorate His death, which was what brought salvation to this world, not His birth.

Sins can only be washed away during baptism, and the prayer of forgiveness (with repentance) by Christians (Mk 16:16). You do not build a relationship with God through the sinner's prayer, nor the prayer of someone else. It is though the Plan of Salvation.

Yes, Christianity may be not what people expect. It is difficult, and at times come between you and your desires. But the ultimate desire is to go to heaven and escape the fire of hell. Even in economic wisdom, that holds true.

Musings

2009-11-13T21:36:00.004+08:00

Musings

Its nice returning to my own blog after so long. Seeing old posts, laughing at bad language and reminiscing old times. Indeed, time does (and though I deny it vehemently) fly fast. But some things never change, do they? At times, it nearly seems morbid to me that life just likes to bring you full circle at times, swing you around like a roller coaster, and then throw you with the most painful lessons time and again. Smile, even in the darkest times. Pray, for He's one person who will always be listening, and will never disappoint. Trust, for He is worthy to be trusted.

I lie in the deep pit again, wondering why promises cannot be trusted, words are always lightly spoken, and feeling there's no pillar (if there ever was one in the first place) around to hold on to, to have no one to catch me when I fall, someone to hold my demons within me. But at the end of the episode, I know I have been near-sighted, for there are indeed people who care, people who are there, and people who would catch me when I fall. I take heart knowing that they are there.

I thank you, God, for I have learnt once again, the magnificence of Your love. Though I understand it not, I realize that You have not abandoned me, but provided little avenues of hiding and comfort. I will do my best to grow in the storm.

Hong Kong yadda yadda

2009-08-27T22:45:00.006+08:00

Hong Kong yadda yadda

And I'm back! It been so long since I last posted something up here, and of course, its more than high time to have something new before people think I've closed down this blog. Another school semester, same old feelings. But the summer that has passed has given me so much joy and learning experiences, especially some time to really learn more about ourselves. I suppose its clear by now that I'm not really gonna talk about the trip (since you can ask me and pictures are up on Facebook); this post will be more dedicated to what I have learnt about myself and the world around me.

1. I hate staying in one place for too long

I guess most Singaporeans feel this way. Thats why we sang "Home" for one of the National Days. Indeed, I feel the same, always having the urge to leave the country in pursuit of new experiences, new weathers, new shopping possibilities, new sights, new friends and new lifestyles.

But at the end of the day, it is somewhat comforting to return to the same 'ol experiences, weather (HOT!), same boring Orchard Road, same SMU, same friends, and pretty much the same lifestyle. Its ironic, yet I happily accept it. I secretly believe few Singaporeans feel differently.

Hong Kong was a blast. I loved the cheap food, the cosy eating environments that were family-friendly (something that I always felt I lacked), the cheap shopping. Never mind that the place was a little dirty (drops of water falling down from unknown sources), it was another experience different from my usual beachside escapades. I returned with a whole load of luggage, nearly unable to bring everything home. And though I'm happy being reunited with my bed, I look forward to my next trip overseas.

2. I like being grossly alone, or grossly packed with friends

2 extremes, 2 mes. Perhaps not everyone appreciates and understand the sorta gloomy/loner side of me. Most have never seen it anyways. But I really love being alone at times. To freely wander around without constraints and limitations and the opinions of others. Then again, the social side of me wants to have fun with my friends all around me. Grossly different, yet grossly entertaining to me. My new mid-life ambition is to travel alone across some particular part of the world (seems to be SEA at the moment for financial practicalities). While I can't hop on a bike like Ewan Mcgregor, I sure have my own 2 feet and a DSLR (in time to com ^^).

3. I'm laid back

Perhaps my best strength and my worst weakness is my laid back attitude. Chill, relax, are all common vocabulary. I can't differentiate whether it is simply just indifference, a bad sensitivity to impending danger, or sheer confidence and faith that everything will turn out alright. Its up to everyone to judge. But I think I'm happier this way. I just don't like being uptight about anything. One person's influence on the things around him is only so much, and the art of exerting just the right amount of influence to make things work is probably what I aim for each time. I'm not domineering, but I don't like things going out of what I'm comfortable with.

Of course, school is a different matter altogether ^^

Well, that all for now.. Have a couple of pictures!

The Top of the World

2009-05-14T19:32:00.004+08:00

The Top of the World

And so, I was at the top of the world. Well, in Southeast Asia at least. Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia, now has my footprints on its very summit. There I was, 4095.2m above sea level, exalting in the triumphant conquest of the mountain, yet freezing in my clothes as I thought little else but climbing back to down relative warmth. The view was indeed quite majestic, but then again, I'm not a stickler for nature. From up there you can see much of Sabah, a wide expanse of land and much of Mount Kinabalu itself, with the other peaks around where we were.

In retrospect, I suppose the process of the climb was torturous enough to make me think that the whole trip wasn't worth it. But then again, the experience and accomplishment of conquering a mountain is difficult to replicate as well. So then I came to the conclusion that I wouldnt return to climb it again, unless the company more than makes up for it. A total of 15 hours or so of climbing from me, and all I could think of was the prospect of a good massage at the end of the day, which I got ^^.

Kota Kinabalu is like a typical Malaysian town, except that it has commercialized somewhat. Western restaurants dot the town, and Burger King soon became something I ate more often than the local fare. To say the truth, there isn't much to do there: shopping is just like Malaysia, the nice things are same price as Singapore, if not more expensive. Next to a nice, clear sea (strangely there's a wierd sewage smell), its also a nice place to just gaze out to the clear waters of the coast. Supposedly there's a nature park where you can head there to snorkel and sunbathe, but I didn't do that la.. We flew about 2 hours via AirAsia, which is quite a good airline in my opinion.

Any budding climbers who want to climb should prepare themselves sufficiently, both physically and also equipment-wise. Prepare for a good 5-8 hours of climbing at least, as well as ensure that you have clothing that can endure zero or even sub-zero temperatures. You'll get all sorts of conditions, including a part where you gotta grab a rope and climb along the side of the mountain with little else to keep you from falling off the side in near total darkness. Don't pack too much, cos you'll have to carry it all up to the mountain huts at Laban Rata, unless you engage one of the porters, monstrous locals that carry heavy loads and just bound up the mountain like it was nothing. Wear boots or trekking shoes for the rocks and possible wet places, and do bring muscle spray. That saved me when I got cramps on both thighs. Nearly died I tell you. Overall, expect to spend about 700 plus SGD (excluding equipment).

The rewards?

The feeling of accomplishment (and certificates)
The view from the top
A good workout for your entire body
The realization that God made everything well

The costs?

Hours of painful climbing
Possible injury (especially coming down)

Worth it?

Perhaps. But as I said, I'm probably not doing it again. But hey, I said the same for the marathon.

Who's the real Me?

2009-04-23T23:17:00.002+08:00

Who's the Real Me?

A question that should be asked by people. One that perhaps, cannot be answered. Who am I? Am I who I really am, or who people perceive me to be? Indeed, when George Herbert Mead established the theory of the mind and the self, and interesting perspective to life had been formed.

The self is actually the socialized aspect of a person. I am a male, a student, something that society expects of me, and as such I act in that way. The mind is the space within which my personality can stray from the expected path. I am who I am and what I want myself to be. And yet we cannot just be anyone and anything. We are constrained. Constrained by the expectations of society, social facts that have been present before our very births.

But indeed, who am I? In today's age, persona are increasingly adopted by people. A shy, quiet outward persona. A dark, inward persona that lives within the confines of one's mind. A third, online persona, perhaps extroverted, enthusiastic and deeply involved in many things. But which is the real me?

Can we, through thinking and meditating, ever establish our true self? Or will it instead lead to a rapid divergence from the truth. And are we afraid of our true selves should we find it, after removing layer after layers of masks that we wear each day that we no longer realize that we are wearing them?

To this, there is no conclusion. But I question the criticality of this question. Even if we did know, what would change?

I'm Back + Reflections

2009-04-18T23:25:00.002+08:00

I'm Back + Reflections

I'm back to my blog! Sorry for being away so so so long and its really good to be back blogging. Its funny how blogging has changed people's lives. I think blogging for me has forced me in many ways to step back and view my life from a better perspective, one that better covers more angles than a simple first-person view. In all the criticism leveled at the technological claustrophobia that has probably caught quite a good many youths, I think that it has also opened a good many new doors.

And so Semester 2 has come to and end and I'm going to be in my Third Year. Its daunting. But looking forward and back, I see a great my possible exciting events that could and hopefully would happen. Life has also gotten back into perhaps a more happier phase where more things are going well (not counting my results). If things go well, hopefully in the summers I would have climbed Mt Kinabalu, gone overseas to HK to fence, and hopefully, if I'm diligent enough, learn a bit of Spanish in preparation for an exchange there next year.

Looking back, I've had a great sem. A nice break away from Econs (though I'm a little regretting it now haha), and a couple of enjoyable classes, I think despite the horrors of Finance I've had a good sem with more friends and a little more fun. Accomplishments wise there probably isn't much, but then again, it wasn't in my agenda. Vice-Pres Windsurfing is quite troubling itself haha. Hoefully we'll be able to rebuild that club from scratch! But I'm sure we will, its truly a sport not like any other. So try it guys and girls! And call me out to surf as well!

As a person, I've grown to understand myself a bit more. What makes me tick and what actually can make me angry. Haha. Indeed I think I'm a very personal person. Not gonna elaborate on that though. Do I like how I operate? I think so. And I would probably stay like that for at least the rest of the year.

I'm not sure whats a good blog topic for the rest of the summer, so perhaps I'll turn to either a more philosophical or more research tone. And maybe there will be some knowledge to be gleaned from my blog. Stay tuned!

Muzic

2009-02-20T08:57:00.003+08:00

Kinda was scrolling through my playlist and stopped at this song.

F.I.R - 需要你的爱

当你选择拉远了距离
就这麽自私做的决定
穿破天际飞去
排山倒海崩塌的回忆
无时无刻袭击我的心
痛得不能自己
或许你以为把这一座城市抛开
就可以终结伤害却不明白
我需要你的爱
不管多少阻碍
不求什麽未来
不管命运会怎麽安排
我会用眼泪洗去所有的不堪
狠狠地把心痛了断
深深地把一切重来
像掉进了深海
也像坠落悬崖
找不到地方可以逃开
别让那些谎言把爱给活埋
当心碎成一块一块
当爱碎成一段一段
我会等待

Updates

2009-01-27T19:30:00.002+08:00

Updates

To answer the call from people asking me to clear some cobwebs, here is a post to get a few more readers coming in ^^

So far in 2009, work has been quite relaxed yet tough at the same time. As promised, I have been mugging pretty hard. I've already started on most of the work that I need to do and finishing them as fast as possible. The only problem is, Finance and Financial Accounting are giving me major headaches cos I still haven't gotten the hang of them. But through hard work I will someday I hope, for the sake of my A! School life has been a bore, nothing much is happening and I am not joining much in preparation of my back to work in the summer.

And I'm waiting for Waikiki!

As for CNY, its quite routine. I think for me, CNY has really lost most of its meaning. Perhaps I really don't quite click with my family much (though this year is better ^^), so I enjoy myself much more with friends. Waiting for a few steamboat dinners too! Haven counted my money too!

There's not much to post la I guess, except for a nice $100 (or so they say) pack from Shisheido which I won through a lucky draw at Bailamos Para Seimpre. Pics are up at Facebook (posted link on profile) so take a look! The dances and dancers were breathtaking, sometimes quite literally haha. One wonders how some of them can be so thin.

There will be updates, but gotta wait till more interesting things happen!

The End of 2008

2009-01-07T21:51:00.002+08:00

The End of 2008

Okay, its indeed extremely late to start doing my resolutions now, but I gotta do them anyway. So here goes:

1. To remain faithful to the Lord and to serve in my capacity as the MF 2IC.
2. To be a good example to the rest of the youth and to uplift them.
3. To run another marathon.
4. To do better in school!
5. To manage my time better.

On hindsight, 2008 has been a year of learning. Through the year I've learnt how to accept the path laid in front of me, to understand and to see what and how God has blessed me. I've learnt some of my limits and my passion in various activities, especially fencing, my new found love. I've learnt how I work and how I play. I learnt that the people whom I surround myself with are great friends who support me in all kinds of ways. And I thank God that all things have turned out well despite all the difficulties that I've faced.

And 2009 is a year of challenges. To continue what I have been doing and more. To cherish the people around me more. To work harder and strive for even better results and secure my Magna Cum Laude at least. To play an even bigger role in the Lord's Church. To grow in knowledge and grace. And to exercise even greater self-control over myself.

I have no idea how it will go, but I know that I will have to place my trust in my God, who has never let me down. And even in my darkest days, He has always provided me a way to carry on.

The Amazing (g)Race and The End were relative successes. I was happy that at the end of the year, we managed to get together a meaningful event where the brethren could spend the last day of the year together. Playing DFTL was a new and refreshing experience, and extremely fun as well! I do hope the next time I'll be playing it myself and not be the host!

One more post below regarding my Japan trip haha.. so read on! I'll be back to update my blog time and again! Clear the spiderwebs!

Belated Hokkaido Post

2009-01-07T21:26:00.003+08:00

Belated Hokkaido Post

And finally, after a whole 1 month break, I'm blogging about Hokkaido. I suppose this is goo, because only the best things would stay within my memories for me to share with you. For those of you who want to go to Hokkaido in the winter months, here's my 2 cents of what is good and bad.

The Good

Snow
Nothing beats the Hokkaido snow. Its so fine that you can hardly feel it through the clothing. In fact, its just like powder. And it also doesn't get you wet even if you flop right into it. And I know that cos the whole bunch of us had a mini snow fight somewhere in Niseko Ski Resort (though we didnt see a ski resort there..)

It snowed when we were out of Sapporo and away from the coast at Nobori-betsu, and temperature-wise was negative 3 deg celcius, which is extremely cold to be out for long periods of time. For 30 minutes or so is fine, but a few hours (like our zoo trip) was pure agony.

Nonetheless, a great first experience with snow.

Kobe Beef
The best beef I have ever tasted. Suddenly made Tajimaya Wagyu second-grade beef. And the huge slab of beef that my family of 3 shared just made it so much better. Mouth-watering, juicy, absolutely delicious.

Well food in general was ok, though extremely pricy (Ramen at 800+ yen). In many places I suppose it was better than most Singaporean standards, yet not delicious enough for the price they commanded. Crab was overrated, though the cold crab Kuishinbo style was superb. And the live abalone that we cooked over the flame tasted decent and different from the usual ones we eat in Chinese restaurants. The common comment unfortunately, was that it tasted like rubber. I thought it was nice though.

Hot Springs
Our daily ritual of hot springs was perhaps the best way to end the day. While I suppose they were not as good as I thought they would be (due in part to exaggerated reactions from the people on TV), it was indeed very relaxing and rejuvenating. And the outdoor baths were even better. The heat of the water totally made it such that even the exposed body in sub-zero temperature felt warm.

And yes, there was nothing but a single small towel. Away with modesty indeed. But all embarrassment soon went out the window when it was apparent that no one was interested in looking anyway. Pity it would be hard to replicate this in Singapore.

Pastry
Japanese cakes, pastries and sweets are just so beautiful! Its just like a work of art! Though we only ate some custard puffs (which were heavenly), just looking at them made me think that even Canele had to catch up.

Chocolates
Okay, I don't think its that good, but Hokkaido is famous for a certain brand of White Chocolate Biscuits called Shiroi Koibito, which translates to "White Lovers" if i'm not wrong. Pretty much a must buy for friends and family, but as I said, I don't think its that nice haha..

The Bad

Shopping
Shopping was horrible. Apart from dear old Daiso (100 yen only!), everything else was quite expensive, and fashion was restricted to winter season, so there was little to buy, even at the factory outlet that we went at Chitose. Perhaps come back in the Summer and you may find really good stuff?

Not to mention, shops close at 8pm. Eee.. no night life. Oh well.. Back to the hot springs.

Little to Do
Perhaps its due to the fact that we were on a package tour, but much time was spent doing boring stuff like travelling to factories, and also a weird village to preserve the old "Ainu" culture, which so happens to be all but erased. Totally boring stuff.

Well of course this post doesn't really do seven days justice, cos the company was pretty good. Of course, the generation gap prevails, but somehow I think I'm also catching up in age. For pictures, do look to Facebook.

Post Exam

2008-11-30T15:16:00.003+08:00

Post Exam

At the end of the exam, what awaits is a sudden drop in energy levels. The mugging war since last week that has somehow sustained the body through adrenaline and red bull has ended, leaving with it a somewhat depleted shell of myself. As of this time I'm sadly feeling a little sick and weak, heading towards Japan in a few days.

I hope I don't fall sick.

Well, I suppose the post exam celebrations weren't too bad, with a nice BBQ dinner at Tim's and Lawrence's house. Coupled with a short drummin and strummin session at Marina Square before that, some entertainment has been meted out. As Hokkaido draws near, there's a Sentosa recce trip for this year end's event and fencing camp to send me off. Now if my body can keep up.

Looking back on the sem, I probably should have worked a little harder in class. But I'm satisfied overall with the amount of effort put in, which I consider a nice balance of work and play. And as the next sem looms after the hols are over, I shudder with the increase in workload. Haha.. but play comes first.

I want my haircut.

I'll try to find internet access while I'm overseas, so who knows, I might still be contactable!

Video Games

2008-11-18T07:24:00.001+08:00

If life was a video game, I've just pressed the reset button after dying. I just hope it turns out better this time.

Epilogue

2008-11-15T23:01:00.002+08:00

Epilogue

It takes some sticky glue to stick every thing together, some old scents to make the knees grow weak, school to take the dreams away, and solvent to melt this statue. Now if there was a quantum.

The car that I rented over the weekend, a reasonable, not-too-fast, chrome plated Corolla Altis of around 5 years is serving me well. Over the number of errands that I've been running, chauffeuring and driving myself around, I've come to a conclusion. I'm quite reckless.

Although overall I suppose I'm really quite safe (believe me!), I won't shy away from doing more dumb stuff if the situation calls for it. No thanks to a few "friends" of mine, I probably broke a few traffic rules in one day.

But its been a really fun week. I shall not comment individually but I've enjoyed every moment, taking leave from the fact that exams are not much more than a week away. And I'm not so sure if I can finish studying. But I believe 12 hours in school each day will do the job. Now only if my mind can keep up. 5 Papers, 3 days, at the end of it is a beautiful holiday to Hokkaido and my December hols which is promising to be a blast, God willing.

This may well be my last post for awhile so take care and good luck with exams and stuff!

Updates

2008-10-29T21:50:00.002+08:00

Updates

Well, its clear I haven't been updating for quite a long time. Work business apart, on the whole life is just getting more and more packed. Of course, I must never forget the ongoing part that God plays in my life. Despite all these, distractions always and constantly try to wrest my attention away from spiritual things. Its indeed a busy world, especially in SMU, but not once can I forget about Him.

Work is getting along fine. For the first semester in SMU, I've been able to control my mugging tempo. I'm happy for that, yet I know my personal affinity to the bed. Still the research paper looms and that one is giving me a big data headache. I need to sort that out ASAP or EDA will be a lost cause.

Life goes on. Decisions will and have to be made. How they turn out is up to Him to decide. I believe that as long as I've put Him in the equation, things will turn out just alright, whether in a way I expect or not. The road ahead is gonna be bumpy, but I shall come out fine.

Eat You Up!

2008-10-17T22:58:00.004+08:00

Eat You Up!

Was just popping by YouTube when I realized the MV for BoA's American Debut Song was up. Haha.. its interesting seeing BoA singing in English, but she has definitely improved a lot since she sang "Flying Without Wings" with Westlife. In my honest opinion, the song itself wasn't very nice, but I thought the dance was beautiful (not just her haha) and full of energy. She's really a fantastic dancer and as always, I can't wait for it to be released in Singapore. Hopefully she comes up with a better song though!

See BoA's debut at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEM6gCSrx-o

Anyways, I'm kinda taking a short break from mugging. I've two papers tml (Saturday) up till 8pm at night and I'm a little irritated by it. And I'm not too sure if I'm gonna do well. I think I understand the concepts very well, but when put into practice I can't tell. Hopefully everything will go fine tml. I don't really want my grades to fall this sem! A lot is hanging on this sem, even though its allowing me freedom to set whatever mugging benchmark I want. To some extent this is bad haha.. but I must admit I've never been one who aspires to be the top of the grade table and would rather substitute it for leisure (in economic terms).

Anyways Recess Week was pretty cool. Fencing, birthdays, good food, Party World and of course the SMU staple food mugging. The past few days have been a kind of rollercoaster ride, and I guess all in all I'm happy about it all. Lets finish the rest of the sem!

On a side note, upon checking aroud YouTube, I saw this "live performance" of M-Flo that featured BoA. Fantastic! Made me fall in love with the pair suddenly. Perfect chemistry!

Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O4AYoLU080!

Week 7

2008-10-06T09:54:00.002+08:00

Week 7

And Week 7 is over, heralding the arrival of the much needed recess (rather study week), perfect chance to do whatever we want, yet forever constrained by the harsh need to mug for whatever papers and work for whatever projects that we have on hand. Nonetheless, the breather it gives, allowing people to wake up substantially later is much appreciated.

It was an overall good week, highlighted by the fact that I passed my driving test (thank God) on my first attempt, racking up 14 points, though I really think it should have been 12. Now all thats left is to find a decent and cheap car rental company so I can drive here and there to practice before I take on passengers. I know some have requested for me to be chauffeurs but that will have to wait till i'm confident haha. Its for your own good! My best wishes to those who are also taking the test later this month (Lawrence and Zelda). Good luck!

As I ponder how to balance the week ahead, I know I'd probably drift towards enjoying myself (simply cos I hate mugging). But the visits to the library will still go on, considering the tough requirements of the econs mods. Too much math le. And not to mention the horrible research paper I've left untouched for far too long. Indeed its time to work on it.

Now if only for once I function through the day feeling awake..

Happy birthday Gao Sheng! (If you come to my blog haha)

Week 6 Wrap Up

2008-09-30T00:15:00.002+08:00

Week 6 Wrap Up

Haha.. just to continue the trend of wrapping up weeks with a post, its been a great week 6. Loads of different activities ranging from mugging, celebrating Xan's bdae, Debates, Presentations, stayovers, a great meal at my all-time favorite restaurant, Fencing, Windsurfing, Hunting, Teacher's Workshop etc etc. There wasn't a boring time (all taken up by Facebook).

I suppose this is how life should be close to.

But as Exams draw near and the need to mug just increases exponentially, I know my Recess Week won't be that great after all. But I hope i'll at least get to surf more than once a week and hit the gym as well, not to mention more great food and company. And of course not to mention my lessons to prepare for Sunday Class 2 weeks from now!

Exciting yes, busy yes, stressful yes. But life would be dull otherwise no?

I'm nursing bruises from fencing and aching muscles from surfing as well. Its a strange feeling. I guess I must be getting sadistic.

Week 5 Wrap Up

2008-09-23T23:20:00.002+08:00

Week 5 Wrap Up

And there goes another week. Time is truly flying by this sem and to a certain extent, I'm happy. This sem has been reasonably balanced so far, and I'm adjusting well to the timetable. School work is going by normal and if I turn on the mugging engine, I'm quite sure i'll do sufficiently well to satisfy myself.

Rookie Challenge was an experience. I should really thank God for His help to win the tourney, winning 6 out of 7 in the prelims and beating off the rest for the championship. But by no means do I consider myself a true fencer. Winning never meant much cos the opposition was pretty much all at the same level as me. N00bs who probably like me had 3 or 4 training sessions prior to the tourney. Not to mention one ang moh who was really good didnt participate. 1 less strong contender. So yup ^^ some victory to savor.

1 presentation and 1 debate over. That just allowed me to concentrate on the mid terms, with one paper next monday and 2 more 3 weeks later. Mugging time. Through all that, I still want to train more in fencing and windsurfing. There's much to do. Not to mention organize the year end bash for the congregation. Booyah! Time is tight, as always, but with proper planning, (and less facebook), things can be done!

Tajimaya meal in 2 days! Yum!

Updates

2008-09-17T22:25:00.003+08:00

Updates

Its been awhile since I updated. Haha.. so heres an update. School is at Week 5. Its a tough week but I guess in comparison I'm having it better than most. I've made a decent effort to mug already though its probably still not enough. Of course, I still value my sleep and other activities as much as schoolwork.

Having said so, I've been going for fencing clinic. Its a great sport and seriously I quite like it. Except that I think they train in Ubi so thats uber far. Anyways I'm entering into the Rookie Tourney this Saturday so we'll see how it goes. I'm looking forward to it, and not afraid of losing. Haha.. no stress is good I guess. Except that I got a cut in my heel that doesn't want to close up. Got that from stepping on a rock during windsurfing. Ah well.. bad bad.

Well, on a whole life is still treating me well. Some facets are good, some great, some not-too-good. Guess thats balance huh?

Results wise I think this sem should be ok. I hope. I really need As for MPW and MS, as well as good results for Econs. Except EDA which I'm banking on it to pull me down. Ah crap..

Wish me luck in the tourney!

But school is getting tough.

MBTI

2008-09-12T23:33:00.002+08:00

MBTI

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Yet another personality test, somewhat like DISC. After Emily and Gek Cheng "coerced" me into taking it (even when there were clearly no more spaces, one was created for me), I sat for it, hopefully to find out something new or at least what jobs I could go into. And so through a whole bunch of questions, here are the results

E - Extravert (Slight)
N - Intuition (Moderate)
F - Feeling (Clear)
P - Percieving (Slight)

Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. Sees life as full of possibilities Make connections between events and information quickly, and confidently proceed based on the pattern they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency.

Others see them as usually lively, gregarious and sociable, with a large circle of friends. They are interested in almost everything and bring a zest of life that draws others to them. At the same time, they value depth and autenticity in their close relationships and direct great energy to supporting open and honest communication.

Well.. I think in some senses its right, except for energy, of which very often I have not enough. Haha. But its alright, on good days I function well ^^

So thats me. Accurate on some points, not in others. At least they say its good for HR people, of which I want to be one. Booya!

I guess the weeks been good to me on the whole. Got my work done, fencing clinic, windsurfing tml. Gospel meeting of which has been pretty good so far.. I'm thankful. Thats enough for me right now.

Over the Weekend

2008-09-10T23:37:00.003+08:00

Over the Weekend

Its been an interesting weekend, full of activity of different kinds. MAJ Peter's wedding was nice. It was nice seeing everyone again, especially Joseph and Yew Meng. It was a pity the NSFs weren't invited, or we'd have a very rowdy table. The wedding was sweet too, and the sword-bearers looked pretty cool too. Military wedding ma. Wonder if mine will have it too? Haha..

Anyways SMU Challenge, as I heard, was a good success. And I thought it was pretty good. Though I wasn't particularly engaged, it was a nice workout of 30miles. The trainer was tough la, making us do loads of high intensity spinning. Made my 1 and a half hour spin seem like forever. But it was fun!

And on Sunday, went for a nice walk with a bunch of aunties and uncles at Treetop Walk. It was a nice stroll through a part of Singapore that I haven been to for years. I guess it cleared my head a little for the week.

Except that my head is blown already. Fried. Oh well..

Gonna blog more another time, week was ok in general haha.. Got my personality tested with MBTI, celebrated Van's bdae, more driving..

Pics are on Facebook!

Week 3 Weekend

2008-09-06T10:16:00.003+08:00

Week 3 Weekend

Happiness. The weekend.. or rather the start of the weekend has been fun. On Thursday, went out with my juniors to have a nice dinner. Haven't seen them in ages but nothing much has changed. Same ol' people. But that's not bad at all cos things were really funny. My partner in crime Pei Ling just once again demonstrated how innocent she was. Sandy and I were appalled. But I think she finally understood what we were ROFL about. Right?

Eh Jnr.. take down e unglam shot lei. haha.. super ugly la!

Fencing just redefined the meaning of "pain in the ass". Or rather, 1 butt cheek. As of now, my right butt is hurting and extremely tight from all the lunging and moving up and down in en garde position. Fencing is indeed fun, but I wonder if I have the time for that.

It was Gunner Gathering once again at the watering hole of Wala Wala, accompanied with music by EIC. Dear buddy Piyo is back with us once again, fresh from passing his Air Grading and on course for his pilot wings. It was nice to see everyone again after so long. Indeed I miss the days where we had 3 white stripes on our shoulders and the days were we shared the 8 man bunk at level 6.

Its Macro makeup on a saturday and I feel so sad. Oh well.. there's a nice spinning time at SMU Challenge later and MAJ Peter's wedding later tonight. Things can get better!!

Forgetfulness

2008-09-03T10:08:00.002+08:00

Forgetfulness

I remember that while I was on the train, I had something I really wanted to blog about. But then having reached school, I forgot. Indeed I am getting old and that scare's me sometime. I know I've rambled on about being old a couple of times before so I shall not say more. Haha. Terrible.

I guess the time for me has come to really decide what is important in life. Through some reflection of my own life this morning I realized that I have not had a focus for sometime. Yes, I have a few goals, but nothing that is well within a hand's reach, one that is clear and near and achievable in the near future. Well.. except my ever-increasing list of to-dos in my calendar that must be cleared.

But yes, I need to find more achievable goals. Something that can evoke passion and interest in my fast jading life. Have I fallen prey to Singapore's system where education is merely a means to an economically comfortable life. Indeed this semester I have lost quite a bit of passion for learning. And while I'm still absorbing knowledge as usual, its through necessity and not out of interest. That must change.

Perhaps, the nearest goal I see is my driving test, that has entered the calendar for the month.

How ambitious..

Week 2

2008-09-01T22:51:00.002+08:00

Week 2

And Week 2 comes to an end, with me none the worse for wear. At least I'm alive. Maybe I should be studying harder though. Soon week 3 then 4, which means 1 quarter of the sem is over. Terrible. Jia you me!

Engine Revving

2008-08-25T22:14:00.002+08:00

Engine Revving

Week 1 is over, and I have yet been really able to get my study engine started. Yes, I have done work, but still its lagging a little behind the required amount. Still I am distracted by bits of SOS here, bits of Windsurfing there and etc. Perhaps my mental capacity is truly quite horrendous, or maybe my study environment just sucks.

Been still enjoying my life a little, managing to go see VJ Choir Alumni sing among other small things, I guess I really have not kept my "I will mug" promise. But at least my driving is nearly there! 6 more lessons and I'm set.

Something still bugs me though..

The Present

2008-08-15T12:23:00.002+08:00

The Present

"Live in the present", so did a certain magazine said. And to some extent how true it is. At the same time it has always been part of my own philosophy of life. Indeed, as the Bible said in Matthew 6:25-34;

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ... But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ..."

A passage that requires huge amounts of faith to put into practice. To put absolute trust in God's Providence. Even I fail in doing so sometimes. Indeed, Man has always planned and planned for his future. How to achieve a certain goal by a certain time, how to earn enough money for a comfortable retirement and how to live a good life in general. Are we able to leave all these aside for God to take care off? Or are we still doubting Him by keeping this one thing well within our control?

But everything has been good for me so far. Yes, I do have ups and downs as well, and I'd say I'm on the climb for now. But whats ahead could be yet another down, or perhaps continue to soar. That I cannot answer, but to deal with the present. That's sufficient for me. Yes, I have vague plans for the future, but they will come in time.

First comes school and my driving license. Haha!

Driving

2008-08-06T22:12:00.003+08:00

Driving

D-day is 4th Oct 2008. Really wondering if I can pass it on my first attempt. Skills wise, I know I can, barring any unforeseen circumstances. I'm now in my circuit phase, and if all goes well, Lord willing, another 5 or 6 lessons should finish everything for me. Haha. Thats quite soon too!

Now I just need to make sure I check the blind spots and not overspeed. Really bad habits to have on the road. Oh well.. I like to move fast ma.. as with the tradition of Gunners.

The initial thrill of driving has died down a little, but i guess in a sense I still have the feeling of elation when successfully clearing the courses and parking successfully. Its nice. But after awhile it gets boring, not to mention maintaining half-clutch is tiring. Oh well.

2 months to my test. I sure hope I pass! Though the day I get my own car is probably years away. Haha.. I'm imagining a lau-pok second hand car as my first drive.

Tagged

2008-08-05T19:14:00.002+08:00

Tagged

Seems like Lyn realized that my blog was slowly dying and revived it with a tag. Haha.. I'm too lazy to blog and happily content to sleep. Oh well here goes!

Instructions: Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged.

1. At what age do you wish to marry?
About 27-28.

2. What is your most favourite thing to do?
Relax on the beach with good company.

3. If you have a close close close friend since childhood who loves to take away whatever you like, including guys/girls, and he/she always wins, will you still consider him/her your friend?
Ah? I suppose? Live and let live haha.

4. What would you give up in return to eat all you want in the world and not get fat?
Hmm a toughie.. I'd give up my food discount coupons! Lol thats cheating though..

5. What's your greatest weakness?
I'm horribly lazy.. but I guess everyone knows ^^

6. Do you believe you can survive without money?
Nope. Though I don't think i need a lot.

7. What are you afraid to lose the most?
My friends.

8. What do you feel like doing, right now?
Sleep.

9. If there's someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
Not at this point in time.

10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you.
Chatty, hyper, laughs in a really funny way haha.

11. What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
God, commitment, forgiving.

12. What is the thing that will make you think he/she is bad?
I guess if I really loved someone, only the horriblest (i know thats not a word) deeds I suppose.

13. What would you do if you cannot get what you want in life?
Hakuna Matata.

14. What do you think 'Love' is?
It's everything. Literally. All-consuming and selfless. Check out 1 Corinthians 13.
^^ ditto Lyn.

15. If you had a choice to be rich or happy, which one would you pick?
Happy.

16. If you have a chance, which part of your character you would like to change?
I'm a little boring.

17. What is the one thing you love about yourself?
CHILLAX!

18. How do you see yourself in 10 years time?
Hopefully happily doing HR in a nice firm with good travel opportunities.

19. Is there a specific song that can describe your current mood?
Umm.. I'm sleepy.. is there a song for that?

20. If you had 24 hours to do anything, anything at all in the world, whether it be realistically possible, what would it be?
Make the world a better place.

Project SOS Finale

2008-07-27T22:53:00.002+08:00

Project SOS Finale

And at long last, after months of planning and execution, Project Summer on Sand finally came to a good conclusion. Loads of freshmen, great facis and the ever hardworking and brain dead organizing comm came together for the perfect picture of the SOS family. 4 days of working side by side building the the hot sun really gelled everyone together. Not to mention the awe-inspiring sandcastles that we thought we could not build but did.

Looking back, it was a project that really gave us all in the main comm a huge headache. But the end result really was worth it all. As I stood on a bunch of stacked chairs looking onto the whole sandcastle display, or delivering my final speech to the whole group, I really though that I would really miss this project oh so much.

It was beautiful. And my thanks to the main comm, especially my Vice-Chair Sin Hui who covered my back during my absence in China, giving the team much needed discipline and requiring high standards of work, which was something I wasn't too good with. To Jin Mei my secretary for reminding me of stuff that I have missed out and attending meetings despite work. To HR Director Si Min and her committee for the huge headache of settling HR issues, handling freshmen and facis alike. To Qing Hui and Winnie and the Programs Team for arranging the finale program so well despite some last minute injects. To Hang Loon and the ever hardworking Logs Team without who everything could not have been possible. To Sim Yee and Ying Ting and Marketing to have come out with various collaterals and doing their best to market the project in various ways. To Nicole and Li Jun and their PR team for liaising with difficult corporate sponsors and securing their aid and assistance. And last but certainly not least, Bernice and Finance for handling all the money and fiances and counting them. It was a pleasure working with everyone.

And to God, who has provided for everything. In the end, everything worked out fine. For providing me a pillar in the form of himself, and a little extra too. Once again, He has proved His point to me. And I am very very small indeed.

The late nights were worth it. And as I relax a little and get some much missed sleep, I remember that everything's not over yet. There are reports to write, finances to settle, people to thank, and cleaning up to do. Now to see everything through.. And school is starting so soon! I want a break.. sigh.. My Batam chillax trip has just fallen through.. was so looking forward to the good company too.

And next sem is going to be a horror. Oh well.. Till then, I'm gonna drive and hopefully be able to chiong and pass soon! I want my license!

Your Personality Type: The Social Realist

2008-07-19T00:10:00.002+08:00

Your Personality Type: The Social Realist

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Did this off Janice's blog. Accurate? Quite in some ways I guess? What are you?

Social Realist (SR)

(Just visiting? Take the free personality test and determine your iPersonic type!)

Social Realists are popular persons full of energy. They are reliable, well organized and helpful. Traditional values are important to them. Founding a family also plays a central role in their life. Social Realists have a marked social streak. They are always ready to listen to the worries and problems of others and spare no effort when they are asked for help. With empathy and understanding, they can sense what other people need. Social Realists are always willing to highly regard the strong points of the other person and to excuse that person’s weaknesses. They are the most sociable of all personality types. Social contacts are very important to them.

Social Realists find it very difficult to cope with conflicts and criticism - harmony is their elixir of life. Acknowledgement and esteem are very important to this type. Differentiation on the other hand is not necessarily one of their strong points. At work and in partnerships, they are loyal, committed and always there when needed. They find it easy to make friends due to their open, warm manner and they have a large circle of friends. In love, they are faithful and attentive and care for their partners with a great deal of imagination and sensitivity. Social Realists show their feelings openly and honestly. Should a relationship break up, they tend to blame themselves. That is why they find it very difficult to end a partnership even if it has not fulfilled their requirements for some time.

Social Realists are more conservative types. They have a set system of values and rules which is orientated to the prevailing traditions. They prefer clear, structured surroundings and work processes; they find too much change und unrest unpleasant. Their strong points are carefulness and reliability and not so much flexibility and spontaneity. Social Realists are open-minded towards anything new only to a limited extent. But, should one be looking for someone to fulfil a task reliably and exactly, they are the right persons.

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Adjectives which describe your type

extroverted, practical, sentimental, planning, emotional, temperamental, energetic, tradition-conscious, loyal, helpful, devoted, reliable, caring, objective, thorough, organised, warm-hearted, open, friendly, sociable, chummy, obliging, self-sacrificing, public-spirited, sensitive, kind, demanding

These subjects could interest you

honorary work, parties, going out, music, hiking, cooking, craftwork, nature, literature

Bring My Baby Back

2008-07-17T20:43:00.002+08:00

Bring My Baby Back

And my dear MacBook is back in my arms! Its so nice to see him again, not to mention quite a lot cleaner and all that. Haha.. Now the painful process to install everything again..

Driving has been fun. There were off days now and then, but overall I think I'm doing pretty alright. Just need to work on my clutch haha.. usually tend to release it a bit too fast, but thats all. And yes.. I think I might be one of those people who prefer to drive fast.. Oh noooo..

Sands is still chugging along. 1 more week to freedom. And if I'm lucky, a nice trip to Redang before school starts. Please let it come true..

Down

2008-07-14T08:28:00.002+08:00

Down

My Mac is down, to my very big suprise. Till then, it will be hard (and slow for me to blog). Will be on a short break while he's been repaired. Do check back now and then to see if I have returned haha. Will announce through status updates too on Facebook.

Random Quiz

2008-07-10T08:28:00.003+08:00

Random Quiz

Haha.. I just randomly did a quiz off Hui Fen's blog. To some extent its pretty accurate, though the questions are seriously no link sia. Dunno how they calculate and give such results. Anyways, here are mine. Go figure!

Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you meet that person.

The seriousness of your love:

Your have very sensible tactics when approaching the opposite sex. In many ways people find your straightforwardness attractive, so you will find yourself with plenty of dates.

Your views on education

Education is less important than the real world out there, away from the classroom. Deep inside you want to start working, earning money and living on your own.

The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:

You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of having no one to rely on in times of trouble. You don't ever want to be unable to take care of yourself. Independence is important to you.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

Lesson

2008-07-06T19:49:00.002+08:00

Lesson

And so, the sermon was over. I guess it could have been much better, but I really appreciate those that came and told me that they liked it. And it was how I wanted it to be. Simple, to the point, original. I'm not sure how I sounded up there, but I guess it was fine.

In a summary, its about how our lives are like a voyage.

And indeed it is. And so far, I suppose my ship is sailing on better than the year better. As I strain on the rudder trying to get back into the best possible path, I hope that this continues. My own rough edges need to be smoothened out. Indeed the lesson was as much for myself as it was meant for everyone else.

The rest of the week was good. A heart-warming meetup with the Gunners for a good lunch at Shokudo as well as a little something that capped it all off. Not to mention a very very close shave. Its still so funny the more I think of it. Wonder what would have happened if it went the other way.

HAHA!

Tajimaya!

2008-07-05T14:53:00.002+08:00

Tajimaya!

The next gathering for S14 turned out to be a most delicious one. Originally planned for Marche, the group instead went to Tajimaya @ Vivocity as the queue was way too long. Tajimaya is a Japanese Restaurant that specializes in Charcoal BBQ, serving up premium meats like Wagyu and Black Angus Meat. The taste of the beef was just heavenly. Nowhere have I tasted better charcoal grilled beef. For non beef eaters, theres always top grade pork, fish and other items that are pretty well priced. Zaru Soba at around $7.50. Bong rates it at 4.5 stars out of 5.

And just when I thought the birthday celebrations were over, they bought me and Pye cakes. Haha.. it was so informal yet enormously heart-warming. Indeed I'm blessed with really great friends. Happy Birthday to all the June Babies!

We were visiting the beneficiaries on the EN side of the house for Project SOS. Indeed, it was a challenging, yet fun experience for me. While I suppose I do find kids cute, it still has not changed my idea that kids can be deadly irritating. I can't imagine having a troubled kid that I'll need to take care of for the most part of my life. How saddening. Of course, hopefully I'll be able to discipline them accordingly!

Rest of the Week

2008-07-02T14:08:00.002+08:00

Rest of the Week

And the birthday week passed, packed full of activity such that I had too little sleep and had no choice but to concuss on Sunday. It was a tiring but fulfilling week for myself and I really enjoyed every minute of it. Many thanks to everyone that played a part of it.

Through the week, I was in Sentosa 3 out of 7 days. And I'm probably darker than I ever was. And of course there's also the dinners with the Regulars (and Noddy too) and my JC mates, of which we spent a night of hilarious laughter playing a modified form of charades at Minds Cafe. Not to mention my very own project, doing sales and building sandcastles which just served to further increase the darkness of my skin. End result: My skin is starting to peel a little.

I've also started my driving lessons at long last! First lesson is over with a number more dotting the horizon. Really hope I'll be able to pass my test by October, though I really doubt it. For now, I think I'm reasonably confident in the car seat, though, there's some work to be done on my clutch and brake work. Haha.. but its a start. Hopefully I'll be able to drive before the second semester ends.

And Project SOS is going full scale soon. I'm excited, yet a little edgy. Hope everything will go fine as we attempt to smoothen everything out by the time everything starts rolling. We've been working on it for so long that I don't want it to fail! Its going to be a tiring July as well. All the best!

22

2008-06-24T00:30:00.001+08:00

22

Another milestone of life. The year after 21. Doesn't help that it has a "2 similar numbers" feel to it. And as I take another step into a new year of my life, the usual reflections and stuff has to come in here. I shall keep photos to Facebook la, so as usual, if you want pics, ask for the links!

Celebrations so far has been really great. Cos its at my favorite place! Haha.. Where else but sunny Sentosa? And I'm really tanned now! Its been great company and loads of fun and good food. Bong is really really contented. And my heartfelt thanks to the people who made it possible. To the Wings Team, the Econs people who I bumped into who promptly dunked me into the sea upon knowing that it was my birthday, and my Army Buddies who "ambushed" me at Starbucks when I was supposed to meet Loke for a good talk. Lol.

Not to mention a whole slew of activities lined up for the remainder of the week with friends from everywhere.

In all, I guess 22's celebration was much better than 21. Things are much more light-hearted now, and there are considerably less cares this year than last. And I'm feeling the full blessings of God at this point of time.

And indeed I've been blessed. Its really something that I can't stop saying. Everything that has transpired over the last year, whether good or bad, somehow has come round to reveal something good.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

And its true. Thinking back on all the emotions and circumstances that I've experienced, I feel as if I've developed much more than any other year. Somehow there's been a blessing behind every setback. A silver lining to every cloud. And it has made me realized how unworthy I can be at times. My birthday wish this year would be to make the people around me happy. To bring smiles to their faces through my presence. To brighten up their lives and hopefully to bring everyone together. While birthday wishes never did come true for me, I guess to have one and work towards it is better than having none.

".. and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" - Matthew 28:20

Amen to that.

New Phone, New Plan

2008-06-22T21:33:00.002+08:00

New Phone, New Plan

I got a new phone! Haha.. alrights its not what I want (the model I want can't be found in shops) but something is better than nothing. Oh well..

Just to share, Starhub got good deals for students and NSFs, its unlimited SMS (not like Singtel only for within Singtel customers). So do check it out if you can! Definitely worth it!

Birthday week ahead! Oh mann.. gonna be damn shagged..

Weird Person

2008-06-19T23:21:00.002+08:00

Weird Person

It baffles me what is within the psych of the mentally disturbed and disabled. To the point that it intrigues me. I mean, what can these people be possibly thinking in their minds? Its interesting to know what the thoughts within a mind of someone belonging to this category. What could they be thinking? Is that really the power (or the lack of it), to be able to totally convince someone of something that is totally beyond reality or possibility? Or maybe everyone just has a bunch of "weird" neurons in their brain, just that there is enough to overcome them? Perhaps thats why everyone has bouts of weirdness now and then.

Don't get me wrong. I cannot say that I ridicule them. Thats because I'm not in their shoes. But yet its hard to suppress a giggle sometimes. Just today while we were out selling tickets, there were 2 uncles that we approached to purchase tickets. What started was a really weird lecture cum information session.

One of them claimed to be the one that "包" all the orphanages in Singapore. He claimed that there was only one. The kids were all abandoned children and the doctors of Singapore would give them to him. There, the kids had access to books relating to Engineering, Medicine and other pretty high level stuff. The kids were given $30 (if I remembered correctly) each weekend to buy McDonald's. When asked what was the name of his orphanage, he couldn't answer, asking us to call the doctors and inquire about "2 brothers", giving his surname as 王. He didn't know what the name was, or where it was (he just said Singapore), saying he lets others manage it so he doesn't care about the details.

At this point we were convinced that he was.. well.. off..

Then he started talking about stuff regarding the underworld, like they eat what we eat, and wear clothes like what we wear. "Civilian" he said. He claimed to have kopitiams and other shopping centers down below as well, and he was running them. Oh, he also said that 十八盛地狱 was also untrue. You could say he's like a Chinese Aethist. Haha..

There was much more that he said, while happily smoking just beside our booth, where the smoke pretty much choked out Si Min and the talking distracted us so much we had to call each other to get away from him. That worked.. for awhile. Fortunately he left later. I'm not too sure how long he talked for, but it felt like an hour at least. Oh well..

Sometimes you can tell when people are weird. But these 2 really looked alright. Looking back on today's incident, I wonder what can cause people to think like that. I'm no psychologist, but it really intrigued me today. Can there ever be a cure? But what is this compelling mental force that convinces people to be not what they truly are?

Maybe psychologists know. I certainly don't. Haha..

Early Birthday

2008-06-18T01:01:00.002+08:00

Early Birthday

The BP Gang celebrated my 22nd birthday today. Haha.. its like a week early but I guess it can't be helped due to busy schedules and all. Was really hoping to have gone to the beach but it was called off at the last moment. It was a little disappointing, but the events of the day more than covered up for it.

Starting at Cineleisure for lunch at the Korean Chicken place (kinda like KFC, forgot the name). Food was pretty ok though definitely overpriced. I'd give it a 3.5! Haha.. then it was on the what Singaporeans do best during GSS: Shop! Okay.. this must be at least the third time or something that I shopped down Orchard Road, but the results were much better. I got 3 shirts to add to my collection! Thats a pretty good result, considering the number of times I returned with nothing.

Headed off to KBox after that where we sang. I didnt sing that much though. Haha.. it was predominately filled with chinese oldies! It was fun!

Its really quite a summary I guess, but it'll do! Gonna keep it all in memory!

Tagged

2008-06-14T10:42:00.002+08:00

Tagged

Was tagged by Meda to do this. Lol.. anyways the first portion I have already done in an earlier post, so please refer to that one for the answers!

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:
10 years ago I would have been 12. Which means Primary 6. Ahh.. the memories.

Console Gaming
One of the more hardcore times of my life. Would spend hours in front of the TV playing my PS and my SNES. I cant remember exactly what games but I recall it should be the FF7, Parasite Eve era. Yay Squaresoft!

Magic: the Gathering
If you haven't played this game before and you are a guy, its either you're too young or you have missed out on one of the best trading card games in history. Whats Pokemon and Yu Gi Oh compared to this classic. 5th Edition was out in 1997 I believe, so its around that age.

Thinking about Secondary School
Its the PSLE year and of course some thoughts should go to my future. Yup, I remembered the few choices that I had was BPGHS, Commonwealth, Nan Hua and Swiss Cottage haha. Headed to BP in the end and had a good 4 years growing up there. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Tiger Tan + V Lee = Experience.

Trying to pass NAPFA
The fattest time of my life I think. Fat and short. You may have called me cute but if you had seen the pictures, or remembered me from my bad days, you wouldn't have called me cute. Haha.. I'm glad I lost it all though and ended up as what I am. Yup and I pass my IPPT now. Goodbye to fat days. And hopefully I'll never have them ever again.

Hating Girls
Pre-Puberty = Girls are aliens. Don't get me close to them cos they are dangerous. 'Nuff said. Eeeee..

5 things on my to-do list today:
- Sleep (has failed.. ok actually not really :p)
- Settle my Windsurfing Stuff (Done)
- Build Sandcastles (Done)
- Have a nice bath (On my way after this post)
- Sleep (to end the day)

5 snacks I enjoy:
- Chocolates
- Cakes (Nectarie!)
- Cereal and Milk
- Umm.. is coffee a snack?
- French Fries

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:
- Praise God
- Hire a financial consultant
- Donate money to various needy areas (charity, family, the Church etc)
- Buy Beachfront Property and a nice boat
- Be a lifeguard, beach soccer coach or something to do with the beach. Fruit Juice parlour perhaps ^^

5 of my bad habits:
- Cynicism (I was called cynical by my secondary school form teacher)
- Pessimism (I expect the worst, but hope for the best)
- I'm pretty unhygienic sometimes
- I love to sleep
- I love to sleep x 2

5 places I have lived in:
- Mum's Womb
- Bukit Batok
- BMTC School 2 + SAFTI MI Sierra Wing
- Air Force School
- Chong Pang Camp

5 jobs I’ve had:
- Tutor
- Newspaper Collector
- SAF Regular
- Facilitator
- Project Chairperson

Okay the last 2 were school-based so cannot consider haha. Oh well.. As usual I shall not tag anyone! Haha.. whew.. time to bathe! I want cereal and milk!

Shopping Shopping

2008-06-13T23:53:00.002+08:00

Shopping Shopping

Its the Great Singapore Sale and my shopping engines have been revving and moving around Orchard, trying to find something nice to buy. Except that, as usual, guys stuff are either too expensive or too poor quality. I've seen a number of really good stuff since roaming around town, but with the exception of Zara, everything else seems horribly bad.

Indeed, its true that guy stuff is always expensive while girl stuff goes for so much cheaper. It doesn't help that I'm no rich kid who can consistently afford Ted Bakers and Calvin Kleins. Even the nicer stuff at Massimo Duti is - Horrors! 400+. Sigh.. looks like i'll never get the stuff I want. Looks like I'm gonna have to wait till next summer to head back to work and earn some money that I can use to purchase the stuff I want. Till then, I would like to scrimp and save but knowing the pig I am, its gonna be hard.

Nonetheless, its funny how I've taken to shopping.

This week has been fun, and I'm sure it'll only be more fun. Everything's quite well packed together and yet I still got sufficient time to rest. Well.. sometimes.. Whatever it is, this are moving along fine! And there are people to thank. Thanks guys! I've really been blessed with everyone around me.

Mich's Birthday

2008-06-11T22:05:00.002+08:00

Mich's Birthday

We celebrated our dear RETARD's birthday on Monday at where else but McDonald's @ KAP. To say the truth, its the very first time I had a party at McD's, testament to my lack of a fulfilling childhood. Within the four walls of the room, the few of us degenerated into small kids.

Indeed, there's a kid in all of us, hiding somewhere, perhaps restrained by the realities and harshness of lives. It just needs a place to be released, for us to be able to enjoy the simplicities and happiness of life through the eyes of a child. It was funny how we were sitting in mini chairs, eating at mini tables and playing dumb games like "Blow Wind Blow". I'm sure if we were to be sitting at the sidelines, we would just give a snigger. "Lame". But being in the mood together with the rest made it almost natural to be enjoying ourselves. The kid in us had re-emerged.

What made us throw that kid aside? What made us keep it away so securely that it could never come out again except in times like this? Is it a pity, or a necessity? I wonder..

On a side note, it was nice to be back on the ice. Something I hadn't done for at least a year. The feeling of speeding along, evading other people and feeling the cold breeze on my skin.. I wanna ice-skate again! Anyone?

Pics on Facebook!

Recent Happenings

2008-06-09T10:02:00.002+08:00

Recent Happenings

Its been a tiring week! Packed to the brim with activities and meet-ups with various groups of people. Its been fun, seeing how I've really missed many of my friends that I have not seen for some time already.

The Malaysian Brethren came over for a visit and so we brought them off to Bugis to shop and play. Its funny seeing how they have changed (and how old i've grown), as well as grown into pretty impressive people. Must have been at least a year plus since I last saw many of them. Feeling old at 21+, its a indication that I've matured. How I'm starting to hold better conversations with adults and starting to feel lost with topics of those younger than me. How I'm beginning to call people kids when they are 6 years younger at 16 and are definitely teens now. But not alls bad and sometimes I'm enjoying how my thoughts and dreams have changed throughout the year.

The Ding Dong Family (except Tristan) also met up for the first time ever since the hols started. The night ended with a nice dessert meal at Nectarie @ the Cannery where we ate Dark Choc cake, Apple Strudel, Strawberry Shortcake, Caramelized Banana umm. Cake. The Banana thingy was probably the best, followed shortly by the Apple Strudel. Ah.. sweet bliss! A personal recommendation for the restaurant, affordable and good desserts. Bong rates it a good 4 out of 5! Would be most happy to lead people to that shop ^^ (as long as you treat me!)

Also met up with the NPCC people where we played some boardgames and headed to TCC @ the Cannery (I'm going there way too often!). What followed was a whole night's talk about relationships, marriage, guys and girl etc. It was amazing how the topic unfolded. Its pretty like one of those emo discussions where we really reflect upon how guys and girls interact in a relationships, where pretty noticeable things are brought out into a revelation. It was definitely a learning journey for me. Except that I slept at 4am that night ><

Bollywood Veggies, another food place I visited on Sunday with the brethren to celebrate a few birthdays. Food was alright, largely stuff like veggies and chicken and curry. Tucked away a little too much in the North-Western Part of Singapore, its totally inaccessible except by car. I'm not gonna use all that time to travel there for some pretty ok but not fantastic food. The only thing that saved its graces was the really nice desserts like Banana Bread, and some other kuehs. I'd give it a 2.5 out of 5. Just passes, but thats about all!

Thats it for now! More updates will come as the days go by!

Kids on Stage Finale

2008-06-05T23:07:00.004+08:00

Kids on Stage Finale

After 2 days of intensive singing and dancing lessons, the kids were finally up on the big stage. It was a blast, though it was indeed a horrendous mess of kids that were excited (some were bored) to hit the stage, screaming and talking too loudly in the backstage where I was stationed to ensure the groups came in on time to be miked up. It was tough handling the younger kids cos they just couldn't stay still. Played with one particular group and got them a little too excited that they started to grab me and soon I was flooded by a bunch of kids.

Kinda like zombies pulling down people in swarms. ><

Haha.. it was a great 3 days. The kids were sooo cute! And the other volunteers thats were with me were really nice people too! Especially mumsy too! Wahaha they are gonna be really good mothers!

Oh well.. despite the haphazard planning by the organizers, everything went on fine in the end. It was all down to the admirable staff, who made up for a lack of competence with admirable commitment.

Do I regret sacrificing 3 days for this? Not at all! Its been a blast! Kids are indeed cute till they are yours..

Kids on Stage

2008-06-02T23:36:00.002+08:00

Kids on Stage

And Bong signed up for yet another CIP thingamajig. And he really wonders why. Sacrificing sleep, waking up at 0445H just to reach NSRCC at 0715H was plain madness. Stoned, unkempt hair, stubbled chin, and wearing his spectacles, the zombie stumbled out of his house for the Kids on Stage program.

While I was being deployed for Sai-Kang and also horribly became part of a "committee" to plan and execute one of the day's program "Kids-olympics" or something like that, I guess it was great fun and satisfaction seeing the little kids enjoy themselves. And they run really fast! I was surprised to see how fast they ran! Amused yet admiration at the same time.

Really cute kids indeed. A little spoiled, pampered and all, but I could hardly suppress a bit of envy seeing them dance without a care in the world, enjoying the self-confidence that could only be bred from young. Put me on the stage to dance and I would baulk. I'd think you'll never see Bong more embarrassed.

Tml's another day and I wonder what else will I do, but I guess we'll see!

Biking

2008-05-28T23:46:00.006+08:00

Biking

Okay.. this is yet another late post.. Haha.. Acted as a teacher for one very enthu girl with a lot of things she wanna accomplish for the summers. Learning to ride a bike! Lol but I must say, you did really well! Your teacher also proud of you! Haha.. Thats one task down! So the rest of them can later slowly clear la right?

It was a real pity that the rain came quite heavily so it dampened the day a little (and spoilt my hair). As she requested, no unglam pics! Haha! More tasks to come!

Shifu and disciple. Other fellow bikers were unfortunately not captured with the camera I had.

Misc Updates

2008-05-26T23:15:00.002+08:00

Misc Updates

Once again, I've lapsed in updates due to a load of stuff, not all of them bad though. Discounting the fact that I was in school everyday, I think I had a lot of fun for the week. Its been busy, but at the same time, fulfilling and happy.

Project SOS is chugging along fine, I'm getting chances to meet people and friends, had loads of good food after my China trip and had the chance to cut my hair and swim! Ah.. simple life is still the best thing ever. I really can feel the difference between this period and the horror I went through in the early part of the year. The work is pretty much the same, its just that the situation is so much different.

Life has been picking up, and it does seem that a bit of sunshine is finally shining through the dark clouds. Sure, they are still there, and the forecast is still unknown, but a bit of sunshine is indeed better than none.

To all that I haven't met yet, hold on! I still wanna see you guys! Haha.. especially the gunners and the BP gang! Where are you all?

Glam Night @ Wild Rocket

2008-05-23T00:34:00.012+08:00

Glam Night @ Wild Rocket

Its been a great day! As usual, the perfect combo that makes me happy. Good food and good company. The Wing's team headed down to Wild Rocket @ Mt Emily where we indulged ourselves in good food and trying to look as if it was a formal event with shirts and dresses. While the short burst of rain dampened the day a little, it could do nothing more but wet the ground a little as 8 excited people went into the restaurant.

The food was delicious! Totally fitting for its price and location. No regrets spending 50 bucks in total for a meal that consisted of Pan-Fried Catfish, Escargots, Salmon & Potato Mash and a nice tiramisu for dessert. Loads of other food filled the table and we shared all around. Bong gives this place a good 4.5 stars out of 5. Defintely worth bringing a date one day to just savor fine food and splurge a little.

Food glorious food!

After the sumptous feast, we headed to Harry's @ Dempsy for a quick chill-out session. Haha.. what else could be better than to end the day with some nice mocktails? Yum!

On a side note, the Summer on Sand '08 donation drive also started today. While I was not directly involved in the sale, I was running booth to booth checking to see if everything was alright. We did pretty well and I'm glad for the good performance put in by everyone. Lets go guys! We'll hit out target!

And to everyone else, haha.. be prepared, I'm gonna bug you soon!

Reunion + Birthday + Hike

2008-05-21T01:21:00.003+08:00

Reunion + Birthday + Hike

Alrights, this is a pretty belated post for Monday, which also happens to be Vesak Day. On a horribly hot and humid day, me and Vanessa went to climb a hill in search of the place the Wing's Team was supposed to eat at: Wild Rocket @ Emily Hill. And find it we did, after a lot of walking in circles when we asked some guy that was recommending houses to a family.

Sweating like pigs and about to die, we realized we had passed right by it. That was cos:
1. It was closed for the day
2. It was in a hotel that was partially under renovation
3. It was way smaller than i imagined.

Nonetheless it looked like a real beautiful place, and the aircon was fantabulous. We just flopped into a couch and took in the cool aircon till we pretty much just wanted to sleep till the security guard started hinting that we had to leave. Lol. Sweet respite.

Anyways went down to Rail Mall after that to meet some of the youths and Sis Anna who had just returned. Ate some chinese fare (Fishball Noodles and the such) then we headed to her in-law's home to kinda celebrate Eudora's belated bdae. Haa.. dun think we really managed to suprise her but oh well..

Birthday Girl lol

We had quite a nice time.. its really good to be back in S'pore.. haha.. indeed its where I belong.

Life

2008-05-15T20:54:00.002+08:00

Life

Its funny how life teaches us lessons over and over again. And yet, somehow, it just doesn't stay with us long enough to have a lasting impact on our lives. Like say the recent quake in China that took the lives of countless people. And here we were traveling down the road to Kunming Airport at the time the quake hit. 15 oblivious souls, protected by the sheer size of China that we didn't feel a thing. Or on hindsight, maybe the bus was too bumpy for us to even notice (I was sleeping!)

Or like how another of my friend's parent passed away just yesterday from probably a heart attack. In a span of time probably not more than 5 minutes her mom's life was snatched away. Its heart-wenching when I think of how lives can be extinguished so easily. At least I'm happy that at least she seems ok.

What is life to us who are living? Do we cherish it enough to even care about how we are living it? Indeed, I'm not the best example by far. But it makes me wonder: if I had a choice, how would I be living it. And we all have a choice. Singaporeans are probably one of the least bounded people in terms of how they live their lives. Money is often not a big worry. Other than that, the only other thing that demands our time would be school or work. Even these can be chosen. So what then constitutes the best choices?

I wish I could answer. But I suppose the best choice so far that I have made was to follow Christ. Within the principles of the Bible are probably the guidelines of the best possible choices that one could ever make in his or her life.

Yet the decision is up to us.

If I had to rate how happy I was I'd humbly put in a 60%. Pretty much enough to keep me going each day and enough of a buffer to see me through tough times. But yet its far from what I think would be a more holistic life that I really want to lead.

When can I attain that? Perhaps never.

Its nice to live each day with a smile, whether its a facade or not. I remember Dong Gu (China) asking why I keep smiling. To which I would answer: Cos not smiling would make things so much worse. And unconsciously, smiling does help you and people around you feel better. A smile brightens up anyone's day, so smile more.

Lovely Singapore

2008-05-14T23:40:00.002+08:00

Lovely Singapore

And so Bong tries his best to re-integrate into the Singapore culture than to go out and have some fun?

Haa.. went out to Marina Square and ate Coffee Club and MOF! Haha.. nothing better than good food! Not to mention good company (Thanks Van! Hope you had fun too!) Sigh, Singapore shopping and food is just so much better. I love Singapore! Serious! Other than the irritating stuff that comes with the horribly hectic lifestyle, its a really nice place la..

Gymmed today and boy am I lazy.. sigh.. need to work out!

Back!

2008-05-13T08:10:00.002+08:00

Back!

And I'm back! Its been awhile and I must say I'm truly happy to be back again! So many things I missed back here in Singapore, yet many many more things that I'm gonna miss back there in Lijiang and Dali. Its been a really fun trip, and though to some extent things may have been much much better, I have really learnt a whole lot within the few days that I was in China.

Things are indeed different, from simple things like food and culture, to deeper things to the way they do business, how "guan xi" or relationships really matter in this place. Whatever that we thought would definately work back in Singapore, somehow had reduced effect in this place. Indeed, the tourist dollar was a more important prey, and local spending was extremely elusive.

I will miss the horse-riding trips we had, trotting over beautiful landscape that can never ever be seen in Singapore. Vast mountains, waters, plains. The work of God at its best. Indeed, the wind in the face and the harmonic (and usually painful) motion of my body moving as the horse gallops was an exhilarating feeling that I really want to experience again.

The culture of the minority groups were also extremely interesting. The Bai Tribe has the man marrying into the family, while the Naxi Tribe has men that mainly relax all day while the women toil in the sun. In fact, the women have to carry the men in baskets on their back before dropping them off when they go shopping. Another tribe has the culture of no marriages. Procreation results from next to random intimate encounters that last till the next morning. Weird yet ultimately enthralling.

Nothing ancient or old-fashion, everything was fresh in my perspective. An eye-opener indeed, And as I finally take a short break before starting my engines again, I think of the life here in Singapore and compare it. Its a trade-off indeed, and while I would not mind staying another week or so in that beautiful place, its here where I belong, with family and friends.

Really missed you guys. Can't wait to see you all again!

Pictures on Facebook! Tag me if you want the URLs!

Wings Update

2008-05-08T11:48:00.002+08:00

Wings Updates

Whew! Finally got a bit of free time to really sit down and blog! Well, we've spent a great deal of time in Dali Gucheng and I must say its been a really exciting and fun experience. The environment is totally unlike Singapore. Its pretty much more relaxed, even despite the horrible load of humans that walk the streets. To say the truth, I wouldnt mind living here a little longer. Haha.. but I do miss you guys back at home too! Just a few more days and I'll be back!

Food here has been ok, though some of the team members have a little problems adjusting to the extra oily, extra spicy and extra salty "Bai Tribe" food. Personally, I thought the food is pretty ok, though I wouldn't want to eat it everyday either. I'm not gaining weight though! Haha.. just weighed myself today and I'm still hovering at 60 haha..

Business and Marketing has met with mixed success, but I'm still happy with the work we've done here. More could have been done of course, but certain factors have come in between our goals and plans. Nonetheless, I'm having lots of fun each day, and I'm adjusting well to the place here.

Yup, still got work to do.. won't blog more! Gonna leave for Li Jiang in a few more days!

Till then, take care guys! Can't wait to see all you guys again. Hope exams have been good! Gonna swim and gym again when I get back as well!

My head's still not clear enough..

Kunming (Day 1)

2008-04-26T09:30:00.002+08:00

Kunming (Day 1)

Here I am, sitting in some Macdonald's after touching down with the team. Having set out to look around for whatever stuff and suppliers we could find, we have stopped and are taking a break before returning to the bus which will bring us on a long ride to Dali.

Prices here are quite close to S'pore. At best just a dollar or two. Environment wise, this place is actually quite ok. Roads are chaotic (no trafficlights) and people just cross roads like cars don't matter. Haha.. everyone is tired after the plane ride with pretty bad food.

Anyways, temperature here is about 11 degrees (wonder who told us it was 21-23 -_-lll ), fortunately, the clothes I'm wearing are thick enough. Lots of dogs walking around too!

Will post pictures when return on Facebook, so till then, take care!

Holiday

2008-04-24T22:09:00.002+08:00

Holiday
For the first time since the holidays started, I had some leisure time to myself. Even then, it was largely centered around my impending trip to China. After sleeping for a straight 10 hours (and still feeling like I slept for 4), I dragged myself out of bed. Mission for the day: To buy whatever stuff required.

Met Sandy for lunch and conveniently, she became my shopping partner for the day. Think she experienced my shopping power haha.. Ran all over from Raffles City to Suntec and then to Funan. Haha.. bought quite a bit of stuff, chilled, played arcade etc etc.

Oh.. she won a nice stuffed toy at those "grabbing machines" at the arcade! Really pretty cute sia.. lol

Anyways, I bought a whole load of stuff also. My catches for the day included 3 music CDs and FFVII:Crisis Core for my PSP. Haha.. so many things! Retail therapy indeed works I must say.

Not gonna blog too much cos its getting late and I still gotta pack my bag, do some stuff and mug for my Final Theory Evaluation tml!

I learnt something interesting today! Wahaha..

Question you may never have asked yourself: "Is a printer able to print white?"

Day 2

2008-04-23T22:04:00.003+08:00

Day 2 Plus plus

I'm back home! Ok.. this post is one day late, but I was really tired la!

Anyways, we must have slept at about 3 plus 4am on average for Day 1, and we were really zonked out in the next morning. Shagged faces all. Didn't really help that we had a lesson after breakfast! But it wasn't boring anyways, fortunately. We also watched a Yunan-dialect show that taught us one important thing. We can't understand wad they are saying! Haha.. ok.. its not THAT bad, but it was really different and hard to catch. Seriously, without the subtitles (I READ CHINESE SUBTITLES!) we I would have died.

After lunch and a pretty funny first aid lesson, we had another round of games to wake everyone up. Frisbee! Its surprising that Su Mon was pretty good at it! First-timer but could really throw that frisbee! Oh well, our team won! Haha.. victory came at a cost though when Sheryl injured her ankle >< And so the first-aiders had their very first experience at an injury. It was amazing how something real is so different from something simulated. I mean, we all knew what to do. But when something happened, it really took some time to assess and think of the next steps. Not to mention when you didn't have everything needed. But we got her to the doc at the school and got her ankle wrapped up haha.. The day passed and we broke camp quite a bit closer, being the first time we spent so much time together.

Now we know who snores! Haha.. But I'm really excited for the coming trip. Granted, there are push factors as well, but then again, those are a little.. well..dumb. And we got on the Chinese papers!

http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp080423_535.shtml

Oh oh! I cut my hair! Lol.. just one pic only haha..

Day 1

2008-04-22T01:55:00.002+08:00

Day 1

Day one, or rather Day 2 of our pre-trip camp in school, is slowing down. Or rather, its my brain that is slowing down. As I chug down a can of Redbull and type down a post, we've been busy translating games into Chinese. Its though. I mean, for people who have lost touch with Chinese, let alone WRITTEN CHINESE, its horribly difficult. You can try it if you don't believe me!

Its been an extremely fun day so far though. Playing Captains Ball and Frisbee, heading for a cooking competition where we cooked Korean-American Western Food as well as French-Indian fine dining. Here we discovered new recipes through our creativity. And to say the truth, some actually tasted pretty good!

The pride of my team: Enoki Orange. In a nutshell, its skewered and fried bacon strips wrapped around a piece of orange. Sounds weird? Its seriously delicious! The moment where you bite down, hot orange juice gushes out - totally heavenly, provided your orange isn't sour haha..

The other team came up with a weird combination of flour and curry chicken together with cheddar cheese. It was surprisingly nice for such a weird looking dish, but the cheddar really maed it nice.

Anyways, we also had an extremely hilarious steamboat dinner. Haha.. it was horribly funny. Ain't got pictures, but we caught a nice 5 min footage of a monkey. Blackmail material man! And so.. we're now having "fun" translating. Hope the end is in sight.. Sleepy! Gonna be a busy day tml too..

Leaving on a jet plane! Soon soon..

Tagged

2008-04-20T21:57:00.003+08:00

Tagged

As of now.. I'm pretty tired. Wanna do something fun. Haha.. but I'll just be staying in school for tonight and the next few nights. There's good company here, so I think we'll have fun! Got tagged by Sandy so here goes!

Starting time: 2155
Name: Benjamin Chen
Sisters: Zilch
Brothers: Zilch (Fortunately)
Shoe size: 9-10
Height: 172
Where do you live: Bukit Batok

Favorite drinks: Coffee / Sprite / Shirley Temple / Gunner
Favorite breakfast: Simple Kaya Guyu and nice good Kopi
Have you ever been on a plane: Yeah
Swam in the ocean: Yup! Loads of times out windsurfing. Nearly drowned once when I was young
Fallen asleep in school: Heh.. only in certain boring classes
Broken someone's heart: Think so..
Fell off your chair: Haha.. yeah.. broken a couple of chairs that way too!
Sat by the phone all night waiting for someone to call: Yeah..
Saved e-mails: Yup. All work related. Unless you considered Facebook messages as messages?

What is your room like: Blue (I don't like the colour). Dusty. I wanna demolish it and build it from scratch
What's right beside you: My friends' bags and sleeping bags.
What is the last thing you ate: Ooh.. grilled chicken @ Suntec Kopitiam
Ever had chicken pox: Yeah
Sore throat: Yeah! Who goes through camps without a sore throat?.
Stitches: Yup! 3 across my eyebrow
Broken nose: Nope.
Do you believe in love at first sight: Not really.
Like picnics: Only had a few. But it was pretty fun! All about the company.
Who was the last person you danced with: A guy. Haha.. DDR-sabo by friends.
Last made you smile: Uh.. dunno.. smiling's not too hard for me ^^
You last yell at: I don't yell. To hear me yell means you're really somebody.

Today did you talk to someone you like: Yeah
Kiss anyone: Today? No..
Get sick: Feeling not too good on the whole due to lack of sleep but overall quite ok now.
Talked to an ex: Yup
Miss someone: Everyday.
Eat: Yup!
Best feeling in the world: Loving and being loved.
Do you sleep with stuffed animals: Hehe.. yeah.. a dog called Beanie and a sheep (name's Bong I think)
What's under your bed: Posters and plastic bags.
Who do you really hate: Haven't hated anyone till now.
What time is it now: 2005

Randoms :
Q:Is there a person who is on your mind right now: Everyday.
Q: Do you have any siblings: Nope
Q: Do you want children: Yeah. 1 girl 1 guy
Q: Do you smile often: Yup ^^
Q: Do you like your handwriting: Normal lor. Good for notes but not for cards haha..
Q: Are your toenails painted: Nope.
Q: Whose bed other than yours would you rather sleep in: Anyone that has a good bed. Except the SAF.
Q: What color shirt are you wearing: Red. My Oikos Shirt!
Q: What were you doing at 7pm yesterday: Stuff at school.
Q: I can't wait till: 26 Apr. Leaving on a jet plane.
Q: When did you cry last: Been a reasonable time la.. But think still within 2 months?
Q: Are you a friendly person: Yeah. But I'm still quite a loner haha..
Q: Do you have any pets: No.

Where is the person you have feelings for right now? - Not sure. Probably at home.
Did the last person you held hands with mean anything to you now? - Yup. Still means everything to me ><
Do you sleep with the TV on? - So far think haven done that.
What are you doing right now? - This lor..
Have you ever crawled through a window? - Yup
Can you handle the truth? - Yeah. I'd prefer a hard truth than not telling.
Are you too forgiving? - Yeah.. but thats what we should do. See Bible.
Are you closer to your mother or father? - Mom I think.
Who was the last person you cried in front of? - Myself.
How many people can you say you've really loved? - 1
Do you eat healthy? - Haha.. on a good day?
Do you still have pictures of you & your ex? - Yup.
Have you ever cried because of something someone said to you? - Yup.
How often do you go to church? - Twice a week normally.
If you're having a bad day, who are you most likely to go to? - God, Myself, and Zelda.
Are you loud or quiet most of the time? - Haha.. both equally likely. Probably quiet.
Are you confident? - Pretty confident most of the time la.

Heh.. pretty much making me emo lor haha.. Oh well.. So many things to do this summer. I wonder how the trip will change me. I hope it does make me into a better person. And maybe something else.. I need direction and motivation now I guess. Its really missing in my life now..

Guys and everyone reading this! Please please ask me out for a meal after I come back k? Wanna catch up with everyone..

Zzz

2008-04-20T00:17:00.002+08:00

Zzz
Many many days after the exam.. Not more than a few hours of sleep in total. Partially a post exam celebration dragging much longer due to closed shops and horrible weather. Woke to First Aid Test after just 1 hour of sleep (interrupted by a dream) and stayed in school till 9 plus planning for the Pre-Trip Bonding Session.

I'm more tired than during the examination week, yet a little more awake cos of adrenaline. In the days leading up to my flight to China, I think I'm gonna be pretty busy juggling 2 projects, my Final Theory Eval and other stuff. I'm leaving for quite awhile, but I think life will still go on without me. Well, especially with NTU and NUS still having exams, they won't be having much fun without me :p

But as I struggle with low energy levels, I'm also aware that I'm quite a lot more motivated now. The focus has shifted to something other than exams. Something more fun. Haha.. 1 week to go!

Post Exam?

2008-04-15T22:52:00.002+08:00

Post Exam?
I think I just had a post exam party 3 days early. Lol. Having just finished Microeconomics in the morning (I think I probably died a little), I joined the FA people to celebrate. Haha.. next paper is on Fri, which also happens to be the last paper between me and my Summer Hols. Oh well.. Exam week really does not seem like exam week to me.. Its a little too slack..

Watched "Definately, Maybe". Was a really sweet show.. haha.. the little girl was just so sweet! Aiyo, like bossing her dad around. But I was quite a heartwarming show.. To say the truth, the story was quite "beating around the bush suspense mystery love story". Nonetheless, it made me want to know what happens next. Do watch it if you can, its seriosuly quite a good show in my opinion. Bong rates it 4 stars out of 5.

Anyhows, we played arcade after that. DDR-mania.. Haha.. more like DDR "funny show". It was hilarious. All dunno how to play go and play. Dunno is embarrassing or wad. But it was fun anyways.. soles hurt after all that pounding. ><

Whee.. just a little more..

First Aid

2008-04-13T20:18:00.002+08:00

First Aid

Day 2 of my First Aid Course in preparation for my coming OCIP. Today was practical so we pretty much played around with bandages and stuff as well as little Ann our playmate. It was pretty funny, especially the CPR section as everyone tried to remember the steps as well as the "head-tilt, chin lift" to get little Ann's airway open.

Anyways, next week is the test so after that I guess I'm considered a certified first aider. Lol. I don't wanna ever use these skills though.. Its one thing to practice on a dummy or your friend, but not to deal with a real situation. While we're probably used to blood and gore in shows, but I don't think we'll know what to do when something horrific happens in front of our eyes, victim screaming like crazy. Think I would most probably be freaked out. ><

Anyways, next week is the start of the exams. I really wonder how I'll do. Tough la.. there's no exam mood. Problems have yet to be settled. Wanna run away, but I'd have to come back in the end anyways. So might as well bite the bullet and face it.

Poly starts tml. All the best to those who are returning to studies! Don't slack too much!

Night Run

2008-04-10T21:35:00.003+08:00

Night Run

The cool breeze and the night sky.

Hustle and bustle, yet peace endures.

The bright lights of the city, the dark of the alleys.

My city campus, my country Singapore.

Chinatown, CBD, Fullerton, Esplanade, Raffles City.

Footprints on muddy ground.

One good run.

For some reason tonight's run was just so very therapeutic. Considering how I've always hated running. The pace was good, and for once my breath agreed with my legs. Its strange how running seems to take away worries. But yet, running is still running, the problem persists. Even so, to be able to put a little space between my weary brain and my problems, even for just a short while, seemed so priceless.

At this point I'm happily in school, after breaking my promise never to sleep over in school. Oh well, I did this pretty much for fun and on a whim, so I guess it doesn't count right? On a whole, troubles aside, I've been quite happy with study week so far. Progress is fine (lol should be fine cos I only have 2 papers), and I get to have some fun and good food + good company. The usual ingredients to a happy Bong!

Somehow it just seems to good to be the week before the exams..

I'm missing loads of people right now.. Really really wanna meet up with everyone again.. Perhaps when I come back from China and everyone finishes their exams!

Lost

2008-04-08T08:48:00.002+08:00

Lost

What a bad way to start the study week off. Nothing much is going well for me so far. What can a man do in situations like this? Or what can one to to improve the situation? Words once spoken can never be taken back. Yet I meant every word I said. I will not take those back. While I might be harsh and stuff, everything was meant for your benefit.

You need help, yet you don't want it. Can I stand by and see you spiral into the deep? It just doesn't go with my character. Have an open mind. Thats something I think you're lacking as well. No one is perfect and no one can ever be. While that doesn't mean not to try it also means to accept weaknesses and failures and the same for everyone around you.

The space for error, now that I think of it, is so very huge. There isn't much space to maneuver and you understand it too. Its time to adjust your sails again. We all have to. And do it fast, because it just gets harder as time wears on.

Oh well.. you probably won't read this anyways..

Sooner or later i'll be needing help too lol..

Pre CIP

2008-04-05T23:29:00.002+08:00

Pre CIP

In preparation for our coming expedition to China, we had a event where we interacted with some hearing impaired students from Boon Lay Secondary. It was a surprise that totally changed my mindset of the hearing impaired community in Singapore. My initial perception were kids that were mildly slow and probably shy and afraid of normal people. But that wasn't true in many senses.

I mean, THEY HAD THE AUDACITY TO PANG SEH US! Haha.. no lar.. just some. But it was really funny that their thinking isn't very far from us. Like any normal kid they will pon things that don't really make sense to them. Hehe.. good ol school days.. There were a number that came and we really had loads of fun playing the few simple stations that we had. We also didn't know what to expect until they came.

Not to mention one girl even had a boyfriend. It was really funny.. I mean, they really are not so much different from us in terms of living so whats the big deal? Won't ever look at any one of them in the same light ever again.

Audrey was a great help explaining and translating for us. If not there wouldn't be much chance for us to get our points across very well. I mean, we take seconds to process a single word! Much less remember the signs for each word and performing them. Haha..

The day ended with our team getting second, though I seriously think we deserved 1st place. Haha. Oh well, we'll crush the other teams next time! I have no pictures with me so I guess will wait till Gabriel posts them up! Haha..

Thanks to the Pre-CIP team for organizing!

Study Break

2008-04-02T21:57:00.004+08:00

Study Break

Study break is coming! I'm so so glad. Really hope there will be time for me to both study and to have a break at the same time, as the term should imply (though it never does). But as the week comes closer, I'm really looking forward to it and filling it with loads of stuff.

Been a nice 2 weeks of presentation and I've survived. Enjoyed my comms presentation cos I really felt very at ease with the topic. Though I only got B+ (was hoping for A la! -_-), I felt really happy after it. Not to mention the very nice chill out session with Vanessa and George. Haha.. went for Shokudo @ Raffles City and I really recommend everyone to try it!

Basically its japanese fare Marche style. And the portions are generally large. 1 plate of Katsu Kare (Chicken Chop and Curry Rice): $7.80 but totally filled me up close to the brim. Yum! Pity didn't have much space for other food, but looking around there was food like omelette rice, bamboo steamed stuff, donburi, nabe, sukiyaki, shabu shabu and many many more! Haha.. price wise its really not bad, pretty close to Sakae (comparing katsu don @ $6.80). Bong rates it at 4 stars out of 5. Service was really japanese, cos the staff were mainly jap! Haha.. I remb a waitress called Shiori!

Anyways, gymmed + swam again today in a bid to keep fit while I can. So pretty much I had a really good day, though there's still work to be done. Haha.. passed my Basic Theory Evaluation today so can't wait to pass BTT then can start taking driving lessons! I still wanna pass before Year 2. Thats my goal!

And BoA released another album! Haha.. of course I bought it! Lol.. this ones quite ok. Number of good songs, others were "meh". As usual she still does great in her ballads and sucks at Rock/Hip Hop. So if you're not a BoA fan like me, just dl it or something. Its still really worth a listen!

Okay.. irritating junior tagged me agin. Here goes:

1.If your lover betrayed you, what will you do?
Nothing. Probably will still love her,

2.What will you do if you do not share the same feelings as the person who likes you?
Would have to tell her lor haha..

3.What will your dream wedding be like?
Simple and by the beach with loads of friends.

4.Are you planning ur future?
Yupz haha.

5.What's your ideal lover's height?
Around the low 160s i suppose. Heights not really a big issue to me though.

6.Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone else?
Haha.. of course being loved.

7.If the person you like does not accept you, would you continue to wait for them to change their feelings?
Dunno lei, depends on how my heart feels.

8 .If the person you secretly like is already attached, would you wait?
Ditto.

9.Wad do u want most in life?
Happiness

10.who is the most impt to u now?
Gasn't really changed till now.

11.what kind of person i'm?
I don't think i'm complex though people say I am.

12.If the person you secretly like cannot recognise you, what would you do/how would you react?
Err.. nothing much la. Probably won't really matter.

13.would u be devoted in a relationship?
Absolutely.

14.If you fall in love with two persons simultaneously, who would you pick?
If you ask A or B I also dunno la.

15.what types of frens u prefer?
Nice people. Friendly.

Whew!

Just wanna sleep a whole week though..

Mushroom Pot

2008-03-30T14:57:00.002+08:00

Mushroom Pot

I entered into the world of sign language on saturday. In 2 hours we got a crash course into the alphabet as well as some simple conversational signs. It was really funny with our resident joker Vanessa. Our teacher Aunty Audrey who definately wasn't an auntie (can't be much older than me at most). Anyways I thought she was quite pretty too haha except for the thick makeup.

It was interesting. I think sign language is really something we might wanna invest in. To some extent it felt pretty professional! Haha.. but at the same time its a for of communication that could prove useful.

The start of a busy day. Soon I was heading to Midpoint Orchard to meet the youths for lunch at Mushroom Pot. Thanks Tim for organising! Anyways we really had scrumptous food with Ma La Huo Guo and the restaurant's specialty of mushroom stock. Company was pretty good too! What could be better than free flow Beef and Man Tou? Haha.. Price wise I thought it wasn't so good though. Bong rates it 3 stars out of 5.

Next ran off to play pool! Haha.. it was really funny with Audrey, Rachel and Sean trying to play. Haha.. tried teaching them the basics so I think they got an idea of pool. Sean was particularly funny as he checked his "blind spots" so that his cue stick wouldn't hit anyone or anything. Haha.

Then it was woodlands for me as I celebrated MZ's birthday with QF and YX. We had Botak Jones before we watched "The Princess and her Warriors". I found it pretty nice actually. Storyline was normal, but it did succeed in stirring up some emotion in me with its love story portion. Haha.. think I'm so much more emotional compared to last time. I rate it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Sorry JR.. think I owe you and apology for forgetting..

Lessons Learnt

2008-03-29T00:25:00.003+08:00

Lessons Learnt

Decided to edit the post a little to better reflect the day. Was pretty tired and all so didnt manage to get everything in haha..

Today was a day full of lessons to be learnt for me. I realized quite a few things today and it really humbled me quite a lot. It wasn't just a single event, but rather a few significant things that happened that made me realize that there are so many things that we can learn each day.

It was in bible class that what Bro Peter Chin was teaching today that I realized something. I guess it was something that I already knew, yet just needed someone to say it out. Its times like this that you wonder, "I knew that, yet why does it only hit me now?". Indeed, our psych is able to block out things that we do not want to face, yet gets hit by it only when someone spells it out for us. And I also realized that while we judge people, there is also probably a good chance that that same judgment applies to us. Indeed we are not perfect, so I think we should all examine ourselves before we pass judgment.

Anyways it was the usual Friday study (more like play) day for me Chui and Loke. Managed to get some work done while Chui died from work phobia. Anyways Chui managed to get a trip down to SMU resident cafe Frujch and concluded that "SMU is a more stressful place than NUS". Well said. Indeed its much much worse.

We ended up having dinner later with Loke and searched for something to do cos we had no more mood to work. So we ended up going to the arcade before a movie. Then we played DDR. Haha.. it was dumb.. newbies dancing DDR really hilarious! I think we made a fool of ourselves ^^.

So we watched "Charlie Bartlett" Yup I managed to remember. It was a story that centered around problem youths. Really packed a lot of meaning under its seemingly "rubbish show" facade. Me, Chui and Loke were pretty happy with it. Where do we fit in in life? What are we doing with it? And are we making the best out of it? I really wonder.

But I think we should all think hard on our lives and reflect on it hard.. there are always things to change.

So many things to do as the semester draws to a close. My current assessment: I think I still have unused capacity. Yet I am unwilling to sacrifice my friends and my life for grades (not to mention my tan). Will that kill my grades? I hope not. And as I continue to fight with ever present stuff that keeps coming, I will spare time for the simpler things in life.

Boredom

2008-03-27T11:07:00.002+08:00

Boredom

I'm bored.. really bored.. So bored I'm blogging in class.. Even manga is not helping much.. I've read so many I don't know what to read also (gonna finish School Rumble lol). Its micro econs with my "beloved" prof and I'm supposed to be learning about Externalities and Negotiation. Nothing's going in and I don't really care either haha..

Been playing a certain game on Facebook called Ragdoll Laser Dodge. Try it on the application Mindjolt Games. Haha.. really bored so I sound like a wuss in this post..

Oh well.. I dunno wad I'm blogging about also.. Zzz..

I need to change my FB display pic sia..

Chill Out

2008-03-26T14:09:00.003+08:00

Chill Out

Its one of my ocassional chill out times when I head to the gym and get a refresher for my tan at the swimming pool. Haha.. feel so much better, really destressed quite a lot today!

Anyways, work load is a little less now.. 1 major presentation is down. 2 more to go! Can't wait! Can't wait for this sem to be over..

Yup.. and so I got tagged by an annoying junior that keeps calling me "Huai Ren" cos I wear black.. I know I'm quite Ah Beng and all.. but I quite guai one lor.. Anyway here goes!

Real name: Chen Yongzhe Benjamin
Nicknames: Bong / Ah Bong / Xiao Mian Yang / Huai Ren
Married: Nay
Male/Female: Male
High School: Bukit Panjang Govt High
College: Pioneer Junior College
University: Singapore Management University (SMUG Haven)
Short or long hair: Short I guess.. Its growing again!
Are you a healthy freak: Nope.. I love to eat good food but still quite health concious
Height:172 cm (at least 3 more cm pls..)
Do you have a crush on someone?: Haha.. dunno if can consider as crush
Do you like yourself?: Very much
Piercings: None
Right or Left: Right

First...

Surgery: Consider stitches as surgery? Can't remember when though
Piercing: Didn't have any. Kana pierce by pencil only haha
Person you see in the morning: Me lor
Award: Uh.. dun remember.. probably some interhouse game (Got Silver)
Sport you joined: Get this.. Ping Pong (Balls of Fury!)
Pet: Terrapin I believe (Reminds me of Mentos!)
Concert: Dunno lei.. I can only remember one from SAJC de..
First crush: In Primary School haha

Currently...

Eating: Nope.. just ate lunch
Drinking: Nothing.. I'm bloated
Im about to: Sleep

You're future...

Want kids: Yes. 1 Boy 1 Girl
Want to get married: 26-27 (DOn't think its possible though)
Careers in mind: I'm stuck to the Air Force. Maybe a HR Manager in the future.
Lips or eyes?: Eyes
Hugs or kisses: Hugs. (There's really nothing more assuring)
Shorter or taller: Taller haha.. Too short le..
Romantic or spontaneous: Don't understand haha.. I think spontaneous?
Sensitive or loud: Sensitive. (I think I get quite loud sometimes)
Troublemaker or hesitant?: Hesitant (I'm GUAI can?)

Have you ever...

Kissed a stranger: Nay
Drank bubbles: Ah?
Lost glasses/contacts: Yup
Ran away from home: Nay
Liked someone younger: Yup
Liked someone older: Yup as well
Broke someone's heart: Think so.
Cried when someone died: Yeah.

DO you believe in...

Yourself: Yeah.. though not all the time.
Miracles: Yup. But not the same kind of miracles
Heaven: Totally. Its where I wanna go when I die.
Santa claus: Haha if ur talking about a big red fat man then no.
Magic: No.
Angels: Yes

Answer truthfully...

Is there someone you want to be with right now? All the time..
Do you believe in God? Of course

And I'm not gonna tag anyone haha..

Slow Down

2008-03-25T00:23:00.003+08:00

Slow Down

There's time when everyone should just stop and take a breather. Yet the world just rushes by, oblivious to everything else around, yet seemingly direction-less in their misguided passions and objectives. Do we really need to rush around that much? Or is life full of more meaning than we always see?

These were the thoughts as I finally had my dinner late at night. Sitting down at Burger King (regrettably alone), I couldn't help but give a little sigh of relief. That was pretty much the only time I had the time to slow things down and take a break. Even then I found myself starting to gobble down the fries and burger SAF style. Was it so hard to slow down? Or has haste been drummed into our poor minds?

Be fast or you'll be last. Be quick or you'll be in for trouble. In our current lifestyle where speed and efficiency has achieved dominance over just about every facet of life. Is that the way life should be? I think if everyone took time and slowed time down, they can see the beauty in nature around us.

I slow down when walking to the MRT station at times to stare up into the skies. I slow down when I chill out by the beach or by the pool. I slow down in my bed where I tuck myself in warm blankets and listen to nice soothing music. I slow down when I pray.

And indeed I cherish small pockets of time such as this. But yet, there's little choice but to stop and rejoin the masses of blurred lines of clockwork humans.

Oh.. and I'm so very disappointed Pool lost.. >< Lets all slow down!

Slow Down
by: Corinne May

16 hour work day just to provide
everything for his little tyke
No time to sing a lullaby
or give him a piggyback ride

TV, baby sitters, toys are awry
as he speeds out the doorway and car leaves the driveway
The boy runs out to his father but his steps are too small
He stretches out his hands to reach him as he tumbles and falls

~Chorus~

Slow down
I cant keep up with you
Your getting a little to quick for me to follow
Slow down
You're getting away from me
And i don't know how to slow you down

16 years together weathering the times
The good, the bad, the sweetest sights
Watching children of the children smile
As they did when they walked down the aisle

Walking kids in wheelchairs slowly whine
Twirling their ears, curling their faces
But now he's stumbling faster in towards that finish line
She stretches out her hands to hold him as he closes his eyes

~Chorus~

Youth Jap Food

2008-03-23T16:31:00.005+08:00

Jap Fever!

We had a pretty big Jap dinner bash at my house yesterday! As the bunch of young adults and kids bustled about my horribly small and not well stocked kitchen making delicious japanese delights like Chawanmushi, Koroke, Miso Soup, Konyaku Jelly and of course Sushi, we really had a whole lot of fun. But cooking food and playing with food. While hands (and the floor) was dirties, you could see there was quite a lot of happiness going around as we fumbled our way into Japanese cooking.

I don't have many photos this time round (most are with Zelda) so I'll just post what I have.

Accomplishments of the Day: A star-shaped koroke and 2 Onigiris (1 stuffed with Tuna)
Flop of the Day: One unforgivingly huge Sushi Roll (I put too much rice and too little crabstick)

Its been a while since my house was so noisy.. haha.. nice having you guys over! Thanks to the committee for organizing and cooking! I think the happiness spilled over to today la.. somehow was feeling quite happy today ^^ haven't really been happy for so long le haha.. hope it lasts!

And now comes the next challenge. 4 more weeks till the end of school. BTT evaluation and the BTT Test. More presentations. Submissions. The last push before I become year 2. Will really give a whole reflection for my first year in SMU after I come back from Dali. Haha.. cant wait to go!!

Random Stuff

2008-03-19T23:03:00.002+08:00

Random Stuff

At a time I should be doing work, or sleeping, here I am blogging again ><. After getting some work done, I just wanna blog, slack and sleep. I'm a little tired of school now, but its something that will just happen each year. Here is the time where work just piles up and bottlenecks with presentations, essays and other countless stuff.

Rigorous training for the outside world indeed.

But as I wonder what to even blog about, I look at the fallout of my room. Haha.. Needs packing again. Its tough to keep my room clean and tidy. Somehow papers and letters will start piling up faster than I can clear them. Pity. For a self-professed tidy person, I think the flesh is just way too weak. Tired people can't be bothered to pack anymore!

Among all the SMU propaganda I see everywhere and even in the classroom, I still strongly believe in my school. Granted all the fluff, all the facade, superficiality etc, I really think its slowly grooming all of us to become better in terms of soft skills. We're learning more and more stuff, how to communicate and how to come across to people of the working community.

Oh.. my LTB group just walked out of a MediaCorp filming session la! Haha.. felt so so good.

And I seriously need to buy new shirts. Sigh.. runnin out of nice things to wear. And most of them is black! Sigh.. Oh but I got my watch at long last! Haha.. thanks Chui for waiting while I was stuck with choices haha..

Sigh.. my brain is a little drained. Long day tml.. sigh sigh.. take care guys!

4 more weeks!

Class Participation

2008-03-18T08:10:00.002+08:00

Class Participation

It was at LTB impromtu speech time when the topic of the notorious class participation came out. I guess its been an extremely touchy issue where SMU's teaching methodology is concerned. Indeed, it has sparked off numerous comments on both side of the house.

Is Class Participation good or bad?

Thinking back on the Singaporean education system, I also think of inquisitive children that always ask questions and give comments. Class participation in the early ages? Now students are just content to soak up whatever knowledge that teachers give to them and accept it at that. The inquisitive side of a child's mind has been erased. In its essence, CP is nothing more than a going back to its roots in learning, which is questioning and sharing. Yet as students, we have lost all that in our paper chase. All other non-essential knowledge have become redundant. Does it take CP to start us back on the old path?

What is learning to us? And do we learn? Thus I conclude that horrible as it it, CP is indeed a good thing.

Happy Birthday

2008-03-15T23:37:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday!

Would like to take the chance to wish a belated birthday to both Lokender and Medalene. Happy Birthday to you! And to Zelda as well coming Monday! As each year passes, we grow older and hopefully ever the wiser. With each new experience, learn from them what is good and discard the bad. Just as every side of the coin is different, how we all react to experiences make all the changes. I believe thats Steven Corvey's 9/10 Principle. Saw that somewhere.. haha CPT Boon Ching circulated it de!

Anyways, I'm all right now. Its been a difficult few days again for me but I'm out of it much much stronger. And I've gotten some direction already. Yes, the area around is still extremely foggy, but at least I can feel the road beneath my feet. And I'll just keep on walking on it to see where it leads.

Back from Gospel Meeting today. Bro Subin preached a really simple yet good lesson. Putting God first. Through each day in our lives, there are just so many things that distract us, that take our minds away from what matters. Can we always keep in mind that God is our priority in each case? He said something that made me chuckle. "Pray before making a decision. Don't start praying after you made your decision." How true.

I think we're really like ships. Ships in a stormy sea where we drift without knowing it. But yet, when the captain sees that we've lost our original course, we need to make all these little adjustments to get back to the correct bearing.

I really can't wait for this semester and for the next to start. God willing, I have planned quite a bit of stuff for next semester. Or rather the lack of it. Gonna drop all the extra stuff in school, concentrate on pulling up GPA, go to the gym more often and get back in shape. Pick up and participate in sports. Above all, to contribute even more in the Church in a different capacity.

As always.. I pray for the strength required to do it all.

Inner Struggles

2008-03-14T01:19:00.002+08:00

Inner Struggles
I guess underneath every smiling face, and anybody around, lies the scars of struggles that they undergo day by day. Underneath the facade, the mask, or whatever protective shell you call it, lies some untold story. Neither can we share it, except to our closest confidants if we even have one, nor express it, for it just exposes us for the fragile humans that we really are.

Insecurities, confusion, and fear, all of which barriers to overcome. And hiding it under a veil does not help either. There will always be times where it just whittles away at our resolve and tries to pull us down. Pretty much reminds me of Naraku of Inuyasha (which I'm reading now). It times like these where we truly need someone. Someone else. Who else to share your deepest fears with than God, and where else to express all that pent up emotions than the safe privacy of your own space.

Was a particularly emotional day for me, with so many contrasts within a single day. Switching between happiness, to sadness, in a sense it made me feel.. very human.

Watched the Leap Years today with 3 very nice guys (no no no I'm still safe) and I must say I really loved it. Despite the poor camera skills and badly placed music, the dialogue and acting totally captured my emotions. Not to mention the different connections between each of the different players in the show. Exploring love even in the murkiest of situations, and in the most uncertain of times. Love is, still a concept that is impossible to define. A must see show!

And where will my road lead me? I haven't the foggiest. But I guess I'll have to be patient and see what happens in the end. We'll never know..

TV Appearance

2008-03-12T00:04:00.002+08:00

TV Appearance
And so Ah Bong hit the small screen. It was just a few short bursts of exposure, but i was there all the same. Finally getting to see myself there, I think there were good things and bad things.

Good Thing: I'm on the small screen.
Bad Thing: Indeed I look ugly.

But seeing what we did really brings back so many memories of our time interacting with these people and collecting cardboard in the wee hours of the day. And to see our effort up there made it all worthwhile. These people truly deserve our respect. I'll never look at another with the same perspectives ever again.

Many many thanks to all the members of Building Blocks. None of this could have been possible without any of you. I'm sure we all enjoyed the time we worked together and as we clear up the rest of this horrendous time consuming module, lets aim for our A+ ! I think we have a chance to be ahead of the rest.

And I think I really need this A+ to pull up my grades.. Haha..

Short Post

2008-03-07T00:09:00.002+08:00

Short Post
Alright.. its only gonna be a short post, just to keep my blog running and you guys interested to check back now and then haha..

I'm heading to the small screen! Haha.. ok.. I'm no actor whatsoever, but I'll be on TV nonetheless. For those who have heard from me le.. the timing has been moved to 11 March at 2030H on Channel News Asia! Do watch ya? Though I think I probably look ugly onscreen.. was never photogenic la..

A levels is tml! Oh today actually.. just pretty much got back from school.. >< anyways all the best to those who are getting their results back tml! Praying for you guys.. Just remember, whatever you get, make the most of it and do plan what you are gonna do next. 4 years and many many more depend on your very decision.

And Mas Selamat is still out there.. While I don't often comment on such issues, you could say I am disappointed as well. There have been so many delays over the release of information that it is a little atrocious. Perhaps they needed time to ascertain stuff.. but in such a situation, everything matters in the first few hours. But I suppose its times like this to shake up the system so people know that they have to start waking up and fill up the cracks within the organisation.

And this post is not short after all.. haha.. oh well.. another meeting in 8 hours! That leaves me with a resonable amount of sleep!

Leave out all the rest..

Mix

2008-03-02T20:27:00.002+08:00

Mixed Stuff

This is gonna be one of the more random posts. The type when you just got so many different stuff to talk about that you cant put them into a single topic. here goes ^^

Met the BP gang again yesterday to celebrate YX's bdae. Being busy getting burnt at Waikiki that morning - afternoon, I joined them late, missing the K-box session as well as the cake. In a flash, its been so so so many years I can't really count. Since Sec 3.. thats a real long time..

How did we stay together so long? I really cant tell.. but considering the effort put in by all of us to hang out here and there, celebrating tons of birthdays, giving each other birthday presents that weren't always the most practical at times, we saw each other frequently enough. Blocking escalators while thinking, our horrible habit of writing birthday cards in front of the lucky person etc etc.. we really went through a lot together. And those with better memories can tell so many stories while goldfishes like me can only imagine and hopefully revive our past history.

Really hope we'll never lose contact.. Till we next meet!

Thinking about school, I can once again feel everything tightening up. I'm not sure how I'll get through.. But at least I'm much better emotionally le.. So we'll see how my results will shape up! Gonna try to study my econ.. but dunno wad to study! Argh.. I think my prof can really do so much better la.. sometimes we need something to mug with other than just a thick textbook that has no answers..

Well.. something new just popped in my mind.. haha.. but its a happy problem la.. oh well.. We'll see what happens..

Sigh.. summer is so packed.. really wanted to go back attachment but i really think thats impossible le.. my CIPs are gonna take up all my time! But I think it'll be the most powerful learning journey for me. Can't wait to get through this phase and think of all the lessons I've learnt. Both good and bad.

I'm aching!

I wish there was something we could all do to help the situation. What has gone wrong? Did we drag it too long? Or did things just happen that made the situation worse? Can we prevent it from happening? Is it within our power? Or within our responsibility? We are only 4.. and are we united and committed enough.. Sad to say I'm not too sure.. but I think we have enough in us to at the very least weather the storm with the support of each other, then work from there..

So many things in my head. All different fields and topics. At least it doesn't affect my sleep ^^ but it really sucks when you're thinking of something then you drift off into another topic without knowing.

I'm tired of the rat race. Why should we race? Can't we travel together in a pack? A pack of rats haha..

Humanity and emotions are fast becoming a thing of the past. Are we what we really are? Or only a shell of a personality created to survive this world, a self-defense mechanism of sorts. Can't we all stop this facade and stop betraying our own true feelings? I hate being enclosed in that cage.

Woo.. long long post.. writing what just comes into your mind. At the end of all this.. I feel sad.. as if all this reflection and thinking just yields bleak results. But all good things are in the future. I will survive this.

Waikiki 2008

2008-03-01T22:03:00.008+08:00

Waikiki 2008

The Sun, the Sand and the Sea. Pretty much the prime combination of elements that makes my very own self tick. An extreme lover of the sea, you could say the event of the month of March like no other. Waikiki 2008, the biggest beach event in SMU's calendar.

Of course, there was no shortage of fun and games and eye candy. Chui and Loke, haha.. invite you you dun want to come. Missed out! Anyways, I really enjoyed myself thoroughly there. We had signed up for Pushball, which was dubbed an evil sport by someone. And so it was. It transformed men and women alike into crazy people trying to push balls in whatever way possible over a line and over people, in the process expanding large amounts of energy. It was crazy.. At the end we were really winded. We didn't come close to winning the tourney, cos there was the rugby team and the dragon boat team around. Totally kena owned by those 2 teams. But it was fun.

Really should have signed up for more la.. really regret.. haha.. Will I be able to join next year? I wonder.. chances are I'll be doing exhange la.. so cant really tell.. oh well!

Pictures tell the experiences much better I guess.. Here are the nice ones!

Survival

2008-02-27T22:00:00.000+08:00

Survival

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

-Isaiah 40:31

Food Glorious Food

2008-02-26T22:56:00.005+08:00

Food and Company

As usual, this must be one of my favorite pastimes. Having a great meal and great company. Anyways yesterday was out with the JC people at the Hong Kong Cafe at Cineleisure. Food was ok, but the ambience was really like a coffeeshop. No wait.. far worse.. we were practically shouting at each other to hear ourselves. It was that noisy la! Had a fish fillet spaghetti (Hong Kong Style) which ws ok. Then again.. I really don't see whats so Hong Kong about it. Maybe the chef only la.. haha.. Bong gives the place a reasonable 3 stars out of 5.

After dinner we went to Taka where I saw this Massimo Dutti coat that was so so so very nice! Except that the price tag was nicer. It was 330 bucks or so.. But it was really nice.. So gonna buy that if a sale comes along! Then we headed to Starbucks to chill..

Looking like a shot from Sweets for my Sweet

Well, today was horribly hectic, running from place to place. First was at Queensway, next was at Serangoon Gardens then next I was at Clarke Quay to celebrate Wei Ming's Birthday. Haha.. he wasn't expecting it at all! But he was really happy.. haha.. happy belated birthday! Had a whole lot of food @ Brewerks where I chomped down an extremely large burger. The portions are seriously huge.. obviously in an attempt to justify the killer price. Think Aditya must have been stunned when he saw the prices.. sorry man..

Bloated, we still headed to Central for Japanese Dessert. Oooh.. heavenly.. reminded me of MOF la.. This time I shared a Matcha Zen with Christine L.. haha red bean paste, matcha ice cream and rice balls = bliss. Really nice.. 4 stars!

Its times like this when I feel happier.. If not I would be so much more miserable.. haha.. So many things to think about la..

Gym + Swim

2008-02-25T13:54:00.002+08:00

Gym + Swim

Gonna be a short post to start the day off.. haha.. just came back from a swim with KT after going for a gym session. ^^ It was great! haha.. really happy with my recovered tan. Hopefully it'll stay longer.. at least until Waikiki.

But I think the real shocker came when I weighed myself today. I'm seriously getting lighter/shrinking. No joke about it.. I'm currently 57kg le.. sigh sigh.. if anybody wants to know how to lose weight they can probably come and find me.

The day's not over yet! Gonna meet my dear JC mates later tonight! Cant wait to see everyone again!

Yup short post.. thats all!

I'm just really glad you're smiling again..

Updates

2008-02-22T21:42:00.002+08:00

Updates

Haha.. mid-terms are over! Well, all except the dreaded Micro Econs, which is looming 2 weeks later after the break. Having the horror of scoring my record uni-low of 65/190 (average score was 70/170), I really wonder how I can really pull up my grades for this module. Taking in consideration the rest of my modules where Bs are showing up more often than I feel comfortable in, I really get the feeling that this semester is doomed.

Nonetheless, I'm confident for LTB (I think) as well as CAT, which should be strange. Target for this sem is thus 1 A+, 2 A and 2 B+. Though I think i'll end up with 3 Bs instead ><.

Also have gotten back my results for the Four Seas mid-terms as well. Was pleasantly suprised that I didn't fail. Did quite well for one of them too, considering I've missed like more than half the classes. But seriously, those papers weren't easy!

As the much anticipated recess week comes, I have to announce that 5 out of 7 days have already been filled. Thats like worse than normal school la.. And I don't even have windsurfing inside. Busy busy..

Oh.. big news! I finally got off my butt and applied to take BTT le! Haha.. its on 7th April, so must wish me good luck! Really wanna drive but then.. no car.. sigh..

Waikiki is coming!!

Jumper

2008-02-20T23:03:00.002+08:00

Jumper

On a week that I should be stressed and worried (Mid-Terms as well as some unforeseen project hiccups), I felt strangely relaxed. The last few weeks were so much worse, and I really wonder why this week I'm actually feeling better.

Anyways, went to watch Jumper with Chui and Loke. Had dinner with Noddy too, whom we have not really gone out with for the longest time. Gonna take this time to advertise a little about our eating place: Changing Appetites @ Marina Square. Granted, the food was pricy and not all too nice, but but but.. Cheesecakes ar Half-Price on Tuesdays! That means a slice is $2.50. Not bad at all. The carbonara was pretty ok as well, but not worth the price in the end.

Jumper really sucks as a show. Bad story, ugly guy and uglier girl. Yes I know its Anakin Skywalker, but last I remember he got his hand cut off. So I don't really care ^^. Anyways, if you just want a cool feel of what teleportation can allow you to do, watch it. If not, don't bank on the story. Ending is horrible too!

Saw the round moon today and started reminiscing a little. Sigh.. hope you actually thought of me if you saw it tonight.

Anyways, I'm really overjoyed by Pool's win over Inter. Was really not expecting it sia.. Happiness!

NUS buds.. I'm still waiting for you to come to SMU for Frujch lunch wor.. haha..

Gang CNY

2008-02-17T18:43:00.003+08:00

Gang CNY

Yup and I'm back with a post! Okay.. I really should be studying at this point of time but just felt so very lazy to study now.. Maybe I'll study after my bath later ^^ Hopefully I'll be more awake.

Anyways, the gang finally got together to have a nice CNY gathering. We went to YX's house where we had steamboat cum teppanyaki! Haha.. it was nice, but we got way too much food! We also were very happy to see TY again, having being missing for a few years then even when he came back also never really meet the gang one haha..

But we celebrated his belated birthday yesterday, getting him a DCP shirt that well fits his usual "you monkey" statement. Was a nice shade of blue too!

Anyways, we did have quite a bit of fun yesterday till pretty late at night.

But thats the end of fun.. haha.. another hellish week ahead.. 2 tests tml.. ouch.. really hate it sia wahaha..

Take care guys!

Short Note

2008-02-17T08:02:00.002+08:00

Short Note
Hey guys, many apologies for not updating for awhile. Just lemme get through this bit of tough time with school and all that and I'll put up a nicer post than this ok?

Mid-terms are coming and of course, I'm nowhere confident. Haha.. so unlike me now.. Yup, so lemme get through Week 7 and I'll have even more breathing space to work with, though I have the feeling I'll have to slog through recess week too!

Take care guys!

See ya soon.

Valentines Day

2008-02-13T21:47:00.002+08:00

Valentine's Day

Well, as the day in which both the attached and single state encounter strong emotional feelings approaches, I feel so very sad to announce that my V Day will be spent in school. Haha.. that sucks, but at least I have company.

Been pretty much planning to put up this post since 2 weeks ago haha.. so here goes:

To: Mr Valentine

Hi Mr Valentine, as your day comes tomorrow, I know many people will have a nice romantic event with their loved ones, while singles like myself do our best to pass by this day without thinking too much or by surrounding themselves with other singles.

I know I'll get by it, but I really would have loved a different situation anyway. Till the day when love comes a-knocking again, I shall improve myself in all facets and hopefully stay straight.

Yours sincerely,
Ben

Haha.. my Comms skills super lousy la.. But anyways, It was quite a crazy day today la.. But I really had a good talk, so I have to thank you for it. Its helped a lot and I'm happy that there are people praying for my continued strength and faith. I promise I won't fail, though I'm pretty sure that I won't come out of this unscathed. Sorry again for the request.. Really regretted saying it..

My results are gonna suffer!

Sleep

2008-02-12T07:52:00.000+08:00

Getting the Proper Sleep

Everyone who knows me in any capacity should know that I cannot function without sleep. And I love my sleep, even though I'm not getting it due to reason of my work in school (can't even call it studies cos i'm not even able to study effectively). So it was no suprise that a certain column in today's Today, pardon the pun, caught my attention.

Getting the Proper Sleep. "women who average about five hours of sleep each night are 40% more likely to develop heart disease.. but the the same study showed that women who averaged 9 or more hours of sleep were about 37% more likely to develop some kind of heart disease."

Shocking news indeed. I'm supposing this applies similarly to men as well. Can't sleep too little or too much. Currently I'm happy that my sleep averages 6 hours daily (enforced as much as possible by myself), and even that isn't enough to make me healthy.

Taken from Dr Bill Maier, Today, 12 Feb 2008: "Getting the proper sleep".

Singapore should really pass a law to ensure that people do little enough work to have 8 hours of sleep everyday! Just joking though..

As I post this to start my reflection of the days ahead, the horizon is ever so bleak. I continue to do my very best to stay sane and rest on any support possible. Thanks to God for keeping me going.. I hope I don't fail and start breaking down. Haha.. studies already suffering le..

Someone to lean on and comfort me pls? Haha..

Elderly Visitation

2008-02-08T23:06:00.000+08:00

Elderly Visitation

Its Day 2 and the LTB team went down to Chinatown to visit the elderly today. After meeting up at Ivan's imaginary Chinatown's Exit B (there is no exit B), we headed to Mac's for a quick morning fix. Coffee of course ^^. Anyways we then went visitation armed with new year goodies.

It was quite awkward, but at the same time quite fun. Elderly people are interesting.

Won't be saying much cos this project is quite confidential!

Wasted time with Chris Liew today haha.. funny la.. she wanted to go shop.. all the shop were closed! Haha.. too bad!

Haha.. KT came over for some monster hunting! Fun fun fun.. lol.. he says he's gonna revive his blog too!

Happy Chinese New Year!

2008-02-07T16:00:00.000+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

A very happy CNY everyone! I'm sorry I don't have many sms to send around, so I'll wish anyone and everyone I missed out here! Haha.. Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone! May the year of the rat treat everyone well!

Just came back home not too long ago after visiting my father's side of the house. Heh, its pretty much only a yearly affair that we see each other, so it was nice to see everyone again, even though we're not really that close. But relatives are relatives, and I'm happy to see that everyone is still looking well. Aged, but still well.

And the few cousins that I saw today are growing well too. Haha.. I'm nowhere near the oldest cousin despite my age (may dad's the seventh brother), but there are still quite a few youger ones, though all are not much older. Haha.. I've never really felt like the kor kor before la.. so i think thats good.

But somehow, I'm getting more used to mixing with adults. Think I've blogged this down before, but yeah.. really feels like a grown up now. If it were 10 years ago, I'd probably be working, have a home and a wife and even kids by this age. But times are indeed different now.

Ang Pow collections are ok la.. haha.. never got much before anyways. I already know what to spend it on le ^^

Other than this coming Sunday, I think thats all the visitations that I'll be doing this CNY. Tml I'll be going down with the Building Blocks crew to Chinatown to do some filming. LTB! Haha.. time-consuming but its really fun.

Hope to go around visiting friends lei.. but must really arrange. BP Gang how? Haha.. wanna meet up with you guys. Tsuen Yung gonna be in S'pore soon. S14 that side also.. lol.. wanna see you guys again!

Till then.. hope I can get the festive mood la.. but I really doubt it.. Nothing is really the same anymore..

The Boy

2008-02-06T12:20:00.000+08:00

There he was, at the building. His heart in a turmoil, his index finger keeps throbbing for some wierd reason. He goes down one floor, looking for respite. He sees an open door and walks in. A place that was usually noisy and full of chatter, seemed so silent today. There was no noise. He takes a seat in the back of the room and gives a sigh.

"Its so quiet", he says, as tears well up in his eyes. "So very quiet". Like a heartbeat, his mind slows down a little, trying to harmonise with the serene environment. He says a prayer to God and stills himself.

Feeling a little comforted, he stands up again and returns to the outside world.

Amen.

Off to Class

2008-02-04T08:13:00.000+08:00

Off to Class

Haha.. just rushing of a short post before I head off for LTB Lesson. Lol.. I had a really bad dream.. I don't know what I dreamt but I woke up to one really random though that really affected me.. I know its just a dream but it really sucked thinking about it. Gotta wipe it off before I get affected.

Staring down a pretty long but interesting day. We're gonna work on the LTB project again! Haha.. its fun working on it.. except that its gonna be super time consuming. And Comms! Haha.. whole day packed again as usual. Oh wells.. heading off!

Sigh..

Updates

2008-02-02T23:13:00.000+08:00

Updates

Haha.. before anybody thinks that I've stopped updating, here's another post! Lol.. no worries, Bong is still very much active for the moment.

Its been a tiring week. Things haven't been going well, both in school, in meetings and all that. Emotionally I guess its not much better as well. You could say that once again, I'm really feeling the pressure now. Just came back from Econs test today and I think I got killed. But seems that everyone else got killed so thats some relief to me. But the thing was, there was no time for me to study.

How ironic. Normally we'd have a choice to work or slack. This time I had none. There was nothing I could just cut off to lighten the load on the sinking ship. And I hate sacrificing friends to study cos they are the only ones left to brighten up my life. My only other recreation is my dear PSP on buses and trains.

But looking at the fellow students around me, I really wonder if I'm comparatively better. I can't really tell. But I do know I'm not the busiest person around. The ruggers seem to train all week. And if they can survive, surely I can. Maybe I can still strengthen myself and improve my brain capacity haha..

And as I take a short respite to clean my room, celebrate Sandy's birthday (it was fun!), and kill monsters with KT, I still gotta kill the CAT, fight with LTB, struggle with Econs and smooth-talk through Comms. The to-do list and calendar is never ending. Sigh..

Give me a pat on the shoulder if you see me! I think I'm quite appreciative of any support possible.

Will there ever be a pillar which I can rest myself on?

Windsurfing

2008-01-30T22:47:00.000+08:00

Windsurfing

Decided to carry on my recent run of blog posts (somehow got momentum) so to find a topic, I'll be talking about me and my recent favorite sport: Windsurfing.

Now I'm no expert, in fact, I would say I'm just good enough to get out there and really have fun, but if conditions are bad (choppy waters, bad tides, bad or too good wind), I can't even get my sorry self back to shore. But while TC our coach keeps telling me that I don't really get my basics right, which I agree, I still like to grab that nice slim board and a nice big 6.2 metre square sail and head out. The result is fast speeds, but I die from the weight and all that uphauling.

Indeed, I'm probably much suited to a 4 metre square sail instead, but that really sucks big time if the wind is lousy.. But yeah.. coach's advice.. I shall take it from now on.

Anyways, this sport is really worth a try and do try it! Don't think any of my SMU friends visit my blog, but if you do, do see if you can join us at the surf! Singapore really has some pretty good winds at times, today was a real good example. Absolute blast of a wind. Never got such speed before! Exhilarating!

But the result is often some blisters and an aching body. Not to mention my back has never been in great shape, so it does cause some pain. Haha.. and darker skin, though I'm happy with that ^^

A stunt I could never hope to do and a sail quite a bit larger than the 6.2. I think thats either close to an 8 or 9.

Karang Guni

2008-01-29T22:20:00.000+08:00

Karang Guni!

Yup! More pics are in! This time from the LTB Poster Session when I really became a Karang Guni Man. Lol.. super funny session.

Some Pictures of my beloved group!

Someone obviously having fun in his role

Some pics from our recce to Chinatown