April Fools' came early

My mum dropped a bombshell today when she told me that my Ah Gong (my dad's dad) is thinking of remarrying.

My mum came home this afternoon looking really flustered. That was when she broke the news to me. Somehow I had guessed what was coming when she told me it was related to my ah gong.

I have seen so many newspaper reports and dramas about old men marrying Chinese women young enough to be their daughters but never did I expect that it would happen to us.
As of now, I can only see the funny side of it and even joked about it with my parents over dinner.

I'm just hoping that nothing comes out of it and it's really just a very bad April Fools' joke!

Of partying and boozing

I refer to the article dated 310308:
"Why get all tanked up on booze?" by Jessica Lim of the Straits Times.



I have more than my fair share of late nights but I'm someone who does not like to waste the morning away. It sickens me when I wake up to find that the morning just passed me by. Maybe that explains why I am so tired always. I sleep late into the night and I try to wake up earlier than what my biological clock tells me to...

I'm not a fan of booze and the hard partying and I don't think I ever will. But the article did touch on what I have always thought, and told to some of my friends. (Read the paragraph highlighted in red)

Well, to each his own I know, but it never hurts to accept a few more perspectives.

范逸臣- I Believe

I Believe 当我在你家门口
下雨了 你看了也会难过
I Believe 你不说话的时候
也是一种 其实你在回应我

虽然不曾说 相信你正在懂
就算牵的不是我的手 我不真的难过
不知道在高兴什么 你的笑容
有时候也宁可当作你在为我加油

不知道在妄想什么 只告诉自己 I Believe
你总会看到我 在某个时候 想让你陪伴的是我

I Believe 没有回应的时候
只不过 正好你在电话中
I Believe 语音信箱的沉默
也是一种 其实你在倾听我

虽然不曾说 相信你正在懂
就算牵的不是我的手 我真的不难过
不知道在高兴什么 你的笑容
有时候也宁可当作你在为我加油

不知道在妄想什么 只告诉自己 I Believe
你总会看到我 在一切之后 留在你身边的是我
那延续太久的一时冲动
在你身后的独角戏 聚光灯没亮过
怀疑 是自己编造的内容 你从不真的认得我

不知道在高兴什么 你的笑容
有时候也宁可当作你在为我加油
不知道在妄想什么 只告诉自己 I Believe
一定会有结果 在很久以后
留在你身边的是我 会陪着你的人
是我

300308

Some random photos of the shop.

Your friendly neighbourhood Econ Minimart

My amiable mum

My lovely cousin trying her best to help out

Bro, Jinghui, Mum

I was nowhere to be seen helping out as I was too busy stocking up!

290308

Friday night ended early and I was looking forward to playing soccer the next morning. Just when I was about to start preparing, CH smsed me and said Toon Ren cant make it and we had to cancel it. It's hard to gather enough people nowdays, with their exams around the corner.

I was just lamenting the other day..
Why dont people realise that there's always time for soccer? If only everyone thinks alike. Haha.

So the morning was spent helping my mum prepare a Hakka specialty - 茨粉果, or ,more otherwise known as 算盘子, or "abacus beads".
My mum's Hakka so she knows how to prepare all these Hakka delicacies. For the culturally-ignorant, this is how it looks like:

No prices for guessing how it derived its name

My mum simply loves to cook/bake and to share with others all her wonderful recipes. Sometimes I wonder why she bakes so much but gives everything away. I guess I get the answer when she tells me all the rave reviews she gets from her friends and how everyone wants to learn from her. And she's really willing to share all of that she knows. I could sit down and listen to her as she introduces all her disciples to me one by one. Haha.

Too bad that she doesnt have a daughter she can pass on her culinary skills to. The best we can do is to get her a daughter-in-law who has the same passion too. So if you are one, you can subtly let me know. Haha.

----

The afternoon was spent cycling at ECP with my fyp mates. The weather was great, a far cry from the rainy and wet days for most of the past week. We were supposed to cycle from one end to the other but because of the too many bouts of "Wah, I didnt know East Coast changed so much!" from the West-erners, it was never gonna happen. Haha.


That was then followed by an early birthday dinner for Wenxi at Parkway Thai Restaurant. The food was pretty alright and rich enough to make the girls complain that all the cycling had come to naught. Haha.


I enjoyed myself and I think everyone did too, although it was upsetting to know that the cycling trip was planned with no intention of asking me along at all. Well, but I understand. So, no worries!

----

Anyway, I did manage to play soccer after all. My brother's friends had booked a football court at ECP and I asked CH and KY along as well. KY hadn't played in like a year and his touches certainly showed that. Haha. Well, at least he got a goal and an assist. You should join us for more games, I wouldn't mind an addition to our team on Saturday! On another note, I'm beginning to like playing on the ECP courts more and more. If anyone of you have games there, ask me along too.

The ending to a great day was completed with Man Utd running out easy 4-0 winners.
=)

For all the people who love to share...

This should come across as good news to you.

How to download, and not get caught!

Disclaimer: I strongly discourage illegal downloads. Support originality! :)

Familiarity breeds contempt, ennui..

Came across this article in the newspaper the other day. It featured Bhutan, and its very own Gross National Happiness (GNH) philosophy.

According to Wikipedia, Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an attempt to define quality of life in more holistic and psychological terms than Gross National Product.

Bhutan has constantly been voted one of the happiest countries in the world, but its also one of the poorest.

So what constitutes happiness? Ignorance?

To the guy who does not know that there's a better girl out there, he would be happy with his current one. To the lady who does not know that there are actually LV bags, she would be happy with her Pierre Cardin.

Sometimes really, the less you know, the more it is. It's ironic that when we do have everything, we go in pursuit of the simpler pleasures in life.

To read more, go to http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,159998,00.html

Good read

Stop spending hours on facebook or viwawa and spend your next hour on this good online read..

http://www.goodybooks.com/ibelieveyoucharacters.htm

Let me know if you do finish reading it...

Since young, I think I've always had a bit of this show off streak in me.
The desire to show off and prove to others that I've got what it takes.

And all that, at the cost of 3 scars on my face!
2 on each side of my eyebrows, and 1 on the chin. I can vividly remember how 2 of the scars came about, but not the last one. Had to ask my mum and even then, it doesn't ring a bell at all.

I got the first one on the chin while at the playground. Think I was in the lower primary then. You know back then, playgrounds were still filled with sand and were so much better than the ones you find nowadays. How can you have fun at the playground without sand?!

See-saws, swings, slides, animal structures.. Simple yet fun. Anyway, the harmless animal structures were exactly what caused my first scar.

I was with my elder brother and we were competing to see who could jump from animal to animal. Being the elder, he went first and of course, he did it easily.
Not being smart enough to judge that the difference in 2 years would equate to inferior jumping ability, I went ahead without caution...

...and landed on the animal not with my feet, but chin instead. (Sidetrack: I've since grown taller than my bro!)

I still remember the playground was filled with my blood. Mixture of blood and sand.. Thinking back, I was most afraid of letting my parents find out, no recollection of the pain whatsoever.

That cost me 3 stitches.


The second one was the one that I had to ask my mum about. According to her, I got it while playing at my great-grandfather's room and knocked my head against a sharp edge while jumping down. (Don't ask me why I like to jump that much then).

That cost me 11 stitches.


The third one happened during secondary school, and the most stupid and hilarious of the lot. Haha.

After a table tennis competition, we were supposed to go back to school for lessons. Not that we heeded anyway, and we went to my friend's condo and played soccer. That proved to be a costly mistake, as I found out..

We played at this small grass patch at the condo premises. Determined to show off, I got the ball off DZ and said the line that soon became infamous later.

"Let me show you how to solo solo!"

I set off on my razzle and dazzle dribble.

Past one... two...
SMACK!

Whacked my head against the wall that was oblivious to me. Because of how stupid it actually happened, I think my friends were more amused than concerned.
The culprits: DZ, CS, LKY, Zhiwen, and maybe a few others. Not that I blame them though. Haha.

The swell was humongous. I didnt think it was that big till I looked at myself in the mirror at Zhiwen's place. So I went in search of a clinic with a bloodied head on the streets. To make things worse, it was during lunch time and most were closed.

We walked a fair bit before we finally found a 24 hr clinic, Grace Polyclinic. (since closed down due to exorbitant rates, or so I heard)

That cost me 7 stitches.


I proceeded to play in the rest of the table tennis competition with a bandage on my eyebrow. Can't remember what I told the coach how my injury came about then. He would have left me out. Haha. Table tennis always played second fiddle to soccer. I would skip training just to play soccer!

-------------------------
So, 3 scars and 20 over stitches later, I think I have learnt my lesson..
At least, I can think back and laugh about it.. Haha

Price hike in paper

Read: Prices of paper up by 40%

Now I know why the old uncle who comes to my house once every week for his free dosage of old newspapers is now coming a few times a week...

He must be afraid that someone else will intercept and get the papers before he does!

Lunching alone..

You know how bad it is when you can count the number of employees in my company with just one hand.

The office is so quiet nowadays, it's eerie. I would choose a noisy and rowdy office over a dead quiet one anyday!

Just last week, the last one of my long-serving colleagues left the company. It had probably been a long time coming, and it finally happened last week.

And for the past 2 months, I've been having lunch alone everyday, other than on the rare occasions that DZ drops by.

9 hours in the office is more than enough and I certainly do not want to spend another hour at my desk, facing the computer while having my lunch.

So, I'll usually try to find a coffeeshop that isn't too crowded and chill out there for an hour. It's funny that whenever i go to the same coffeeshop, I see the same people eating there as well. Maybe they all think the same way as I do.. Haha.

The Great Divide - Opposites do not attract

Have you ever wondered why there are cliques and acquaintances and why the alike always stick together?

Do you realise that the people in your cliques are the ones who have similar thinking, behaviour, and maybe even brand of humour as you?

So, this actually defies the notion that opposites do attract. On the contrary, when it comes to friends and buddies, the reigning school of thought is that opposites do not attract, but repel. So much so that elitism and ostracism might even come into the picture.

I look around and sometimes I see a solitary figure sticking out like a sore thumb in a group of friends. That's when I think that he/she should not belong there and is only there because they are trying very hard to blend in. This usually comes at the expense of their comfort, natural mindsets, and the appearance of multiple personalities. At a time when people are searching for their identities, this should be quite a common thing.

You do not need to be a rocket scientist to figure out the different cliques on the streets.
Punks, geeks, ah bengs and ah lians, goody-two-shoes, growing-up-and-acting-cool-school-kids, flamboyant showoffs, etc...
What then happens if you put one guy from each category and put them together?

Loads of patronization and condescension.

Personally, I have two groups of good friends; one predominantly chinese speaking, the other strictly english. Different characters altogether, and a wholly different experience when you hang out with each group.
I relish it though, albeit I am definitely more inclined towards the chinese speaking gang.

Am I alone on this? I don't think so...

And the scoreline reads...

Man Utd : Liverpool
3 : 0

Reflection

I've come to realise that all this happened and passed, and with a reason too. I'd like to give it all up, and start afresh.

I think it was primed for disaster right from the start. Regret is not something I would dwell on; that's the worst emotion one can have.

I'm talking about this, because the memories have been flooding back. Manifesting into dreams, a time when I cant stem it all out.. It's so surreal, yet hopefully believable..


Now, it's time to move on Swee.. Greater things await you..

Do opposites attract?

Yes, I agree to a certain extent.

Not so much like chalk and cheese totally but more like knight to shining armour, prata to teh tarik, Benitez to Champions League and so on...

So, Complementary is the keyword here.

You fall in love with what completes you. Agree?

"What most people call falling in love is really falling in pattern," he says. "Relationships are about getting our own needs met, often on an unconscious basis. In other words, we try to find someone who is complementary to us and can help us learn, heal, and grow."
Reference: Do Opposites attract?

I do not know if it applies to you but I do believe that.

To be continued...

Just wondering..

For those who are already working, how many emails do you send and receive on a daily basis?

And yes, inclusive of all those senseless forwarded emails I know many people engage in to derive some leisure at work.

Lately, I've been receiving and sending close to 40 emails respectively, everyday.

No wonder studies have shown that clearing email clutter is the most time-consuming thing to do at work!

In the mood for.. quotes

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.

That's one of my most used quotes...
And if that looks familiar, it's because you can see it on the right of your screen now.

Of democracy & autocracy...

Hands up, the many of you who think that Singapore is a democratic country.
And those who think you know what is democracy, put up your legs as well.

I always think about the extent of democracy that is enjoyed in Singapore. How do you define democracy? Reciting the pledge since we were young and subconsciously taking it as it is written?

..to build a Democratic society, based on justice and equality
(For the benefit of those who are not patriotic enough like me to remember the lyrics by heart.)

Putting one and one together and synchronizing 'Democratic' & 'Singapore'?

I was talking to the boss the other day and he told me of his account with this interviewer, back when he was younger.
The interviewer was a very intelligent guy and he made this statement:

"You know, so many Singaporeans are always complaining about the lack of democracy that we get. I really wonder if they know what they are talking about..

Do they not realise that everyday, they are stepping into an even more autocratic environment? So many of them go about it without even realizing!

In my company, I do not need your vote... I do not need to go for trials, and I do not have to cater to you.. What I say counts, even without your approval..
Isn't that a very fine example of autocracy already?"



In the end, it all boils down to perspectives again. I have my reservations , even though I believe Singapore is what it is today because it is so good at doing this. Let's just say, I am a considerable skeptic..

Thanks for the well wishes...

My dad's alright now and will be discharged today. He went for his endoscopy yesterday morning and the stone was removed in the process as well.

The stone was actually washed away while the doctor pumped liquid in together with the tube, so all the worries and fears about how the stone would be removed turned out to be unfounded. Haha. My dad's eating well and back to his jovial self again. Hope that my mum can at last sleep well! She had been the most worried one all the while so it was really a big relief when the good news came.


While we were all at the hospital and accompanying my dad, we talked quite a bit. And we especially talked about my dad's provision shop. For those who do not know, my dad owns an Econ Minimart with his brother. It's at Bedok North Street 2, Block 122, Unit #XX-XX. Okay I know too much information.

Anyway, I've been telling him all along to give up the shop and do something easier and less taxing. He works a crazy 14 hours a day, and he has been doing this even before I was borne. A typical day starts at 7am and ends at 9pm. Yes, he is his own boss, but it comes at the expense of many other things.

He does not have time to exercise, he has to be on his feet the whole day, he has to carry sacks of rice, cartons of drinks, easily weighing more than 50kg, he has to work even when he's sick, he has to put up with all sorts of unbelievable people at the shop, and a whole lot of other stuff that I would rather not comment on.

So it's a topic that we have been discussing sporadically. My bro's gonna finish his studies this mid-year, and will be getting a job after that. I am currently working as well, so finances should not be a problem. His main concern now lies with the fact that I plan to study come end of the year. Hence, his decision to stay on at the shop, at least till I graduate. There are other reasons as well but those are other stories for another day.


I've not really shopped at provision shops or supermarts, hypermarts, megamarts, (or whatever humongous term they come up with) since young. All necessities were provided of, courtesy of the shop, and it's definitely a welcome luxury.

Imagine a kid going inside a shop and having access to all the goodies there! That's how good, or bad it was. Haha. So I had my fair share of snacks, sweets and whatever I wanted to try out. Hey but I did earn my keep back then too. Always helped out at the cashier or stocked up the goods when they ran out, albeit a bit reluctantly at times.

Thinking back, it was more fun than toil, and every trip to the shop means I will go back home with many bags of goodies. No wonder my cheeks are so chubby now!

Talking about that, I must be suffering from hormonal imbalance. Pimples are sprouting from nowhere and it just doesnt get better. It disgusts me to see the state of my face. Really need to seek medical help soon.


Alright, I'm back to work.

My dad hasn't been feeling well lately. He was down with a very bad flu for the whole of last week. Just when I thought he had recovered, he had sudden gastric-related pain and now he is hospitalised for further diagnosis.

I was sleeping when my mum and bro sent him to the hospital on late Wed night. According to them, he was in such pain that his face turned all pale and could not even stand up straight. That night, they actually made trips to CGH twice. The first time, I think my dad felt better after some time and they actually made their way back after getting some medicine. Not long after they reached home, my dad got so sick and they had to rush down to CGH again. All the while, I was asleep.

I only got news of it the next morning when I saw my brother still up. My dad and mum were still sleeping after being up the whole night. That evening, my mum called and told me that my dad had blood in his urine and after consulting the family doctor, he was referred to the hospital, where he is now being diagnosed for his condition.

Hope its nothing serious. I haven't seen him for a day. Will be going down after work.

Higher Resolution Youtube videos

For all you Youtube fans out there, check this out.

Better YouTube Firefox Extension

Apparently, it lets you enlarge videos for better viewing, hide user comments, declutters the page and disables autoplay (great for vids open in a background tab.)

Macbook

The boss just got a Macbook Pro a few days back and it really looks cool. Come to think of it, I have never used a Mac before in my entire life and maybe its about time too. Have been wanting to get a laptop and I might just get a Macbook. Last I checked, it costs around 1.8K - 2K.

Anyone has had bad or good experience with that? Might not matter much, because I think I'm already leaning too much towards that to be swayed again. Haha.

Anyway, I'm finally going to start touching on something novel on the job after close to 7 months. All the while, I have been managing Google Adwords accounts and managing more Google Adwords accounts. And of course, the inevitable task that the boss sets you out to do.

Now, I'm gonna have to start writing articles too. Writing website content, articles for a corporate blog, and probably a lot of other stuff that would bring about web traffic. Actually, its just as well that I get to do this. I was thinking of doing it on my own anyway. Perfect opportunity for me to get exposure and not be accused of moonlighting! I have always had interest in that, so everything just falls in place nicely. My only concern is that I will be bogged down by all the potential workload going forward. Well, at least exciting times(staying hopeful) novelty lies ahead!

Revamp..

-ed...

IT Show 2008

I have never been a fan of IT Shows despite the great bargains as I can't stand huge crowds, and I mean really huge ones. The fact that I am taller than most people does allow me to get fresher air but the thought of moving 10cm a minute just puts me off most of the time.

I have only been to two IT shows before and my only purchase has been a digicam. And even that was a gift to me. Crowds dampen whatever shopping mood I am in, and the bargains just seem secondary then.

But still, I think I will be going to this year's IT Show. I have been wanting to get a notebook and the urge just got stronger recently. Well, its just great that the IT show coincides nicely. I needa make more money, it just doesn't come fast enough for me. Especially now that I'm gonna study, I will have to find a way to supplement my income!

Anyway if you are interested, the IT Show is from 6 Mar - 9 Mar (Thurs till Sun) at Suntec.

Perspective

Difficult times are like dark clouds that pass overhead and block the sun. When we look more closely at the edges of every cloud we can see the sun shining there like a silver lining.

The sun shining at the edges of every cloud reminds us that every difficult situation has a bright side.

Reference:
GoEnglish.com