Sun, sand, sea and a dollop of satay sauce....

You know, when we're sick of frisbee and volleyball, there's always something to brighten up your day. ZHONG JI MI MA!

Oh wells, it was a pleasant (though sleep-deprived) two days at Sentosa, and with the beach/swimming pool just a stone's throw away, neither Songjie nor I batted an eyelid about swimming at an ungodly 1am. If not for the weather, there'd be more activities, especially that of kayaking and mua chee-ing...

The water was salty, and so were SJ, SQ, Lola and Siu2, with the last 2 being unwilling participants in our very own version of the Thai water festival, complete with mua chee thrown in for good measure.

The second day saw the arrival of Boon Kiat, Kevin and several other dignitaries who left after the BBQ. Unfortunately, Wei Loong did not make his exit fast enough, and soon succumbed to the inevitable 终极密码 that accompanies every BBQ with excess food. And sauces/syrup.

The start of the game was pretty mild, with the losers eating the leftover chicken wings. Soon, attention shifted to the unfinished pack of digestive biscuits that Lola had so kindly brought down. And the extra packet of satay sauce that I had asked for. SJ put one and one together, and voila, a sumptuous concoction of satay spread on biscuit was thereby invented. It was puke-inducing shite man...

And after we finished the pack of digestives, there was still a considerable amount of cucumber and marshmallows, with syrup and satay sauce for the base. If digestives were bad, this pwned them all. MARSHMALLOWS WITH SATAY SAUCE. I'm swearing off both for the next 6 months!

I soon realized that HH has got a fetish for cats. And he slept with one of them. Well done I say. And I hope that everyone has enjoyed their (not-so-idyllic) stay at Sentosa, and here's to a satay sauce well-done.

Singapore Idol-Wannabes

The pick of the Singapore Idol Rejects pack...
Any wonder he looks like moi? LoL...



The 'Nong Nong Ago' part.


"More than words" remember? He probably wants Koof to take a lesson or two FROM him...


Huo Huo Huo Huo!


More clips on YouTube

Just another day...

Woke up at 2pm today. It ain't that ridiculous if u consider that I slept at 6am after that farcical Champions League Final, and after the equally nonsensical finalé of Prison Break.

Met the SMUBS gang+1 for a spot of badminton, and I swear that I have absolutely ZERO hand-eye coordination. After long rallies based purely on reflexive instincts and salvaging a point, I'd drop the next few sets simply cos the racquet and the shuttlecock didn't connect. Ok that sounded wrong.

I left for home after that, and after a soothing shower we (Lin, me and SFH) left for AMK Community Hospital to visit 大舅. It was his birthday, after all. The gloom and pallor of the hospital wards were momentarily lifted by the forcibly hushed strains of "Happy Birthday". The single candle on the cake was especially significant, and 舅母 couldn't have put it any better: it was a new beginning to his life.

Next my maternal family headed off to Jalan Kayu for some dinner. The kids running around, the adults making small talk and me just concentrating on grabbing every single morsel of food with my grands looking on approvingly...

天伦之乐 is a joy best experienced and not described.

The Red Badge of Courage

You know that things are complicated.
The dance of courtship that is so very tango-esque.

Anticipation
From which the phrase "in tango" was coined.
Prescience and presence of mind.

Synchronization
Without which a mess results.
The mutual understanding required.

Awareness
Not to step on toes.
The chemistry of love.

The Affective Power of the Audience
I can't stress this enough.
No man is an island.
Make the most of the support you have.

The Red Badge of Courage says it all: a hero does not a wound make, and true courage calls not for immediate recognition, but for selfless contribution.

Destiny's Child == Me;

As I reach the supposed midway point in my tertiary life, I'm gonna slow down just this bit to reflect on what I've become -- and what I've achieved.

Some twelve months ago, I was a nervous wreck -- prepping for the CS1102C exams and churning out pages after pages of code. C++ code, at that. Now I can't even remember a single C++ function with clarity. Regression, looping ([i++;][j++];) and the omnipresent printf function, hell, even the formatting which I was so very anal about... it's all gone. Zilch. Nothing. It's as though it had never been. The lessons, the math and the beloved physics equations.

The endless hair-tearing debugging sessions late into the night with C++ lab assignments. Running them through the compiler (G-something, it was called) and getting the inevitable compilation error or infinite loop error. T'was a time to remember. Getting screwed at both Term I and II exams. Constantly going down to Engin Canteen for prata, the indian mashed potatoes and the oh-so-cheap western foods with Hasan, Junwei and Yimin. Constantly cursing the EG1413 and CS1101C lecturers with my brother-in-arms Chuan Seng, who incidentally left for greener pastures/prettier girls at NTU Accountancy at the same time. NUS was big. Too big, perhaps for my liking. no sense of belonging. The people maketh the place. And the Engineering fraternity (or at least the people in my cohort) were too distant to really establish any sort of bond.

Regret fills me. The incentives, the wonderful facilities and the sheer number of the NUS communes. My NUS experience promised so much. SOOOO MUCH.

*Fast Forward 10 Months*

Hectic schedules. Jam packed with project meetings, with deadlines constantly lurking around the corner. The familiar faces. The not-so-familiar ones as well. The sense of community, of civic duty and active citizenry.

I've found a place where I belong.

Happiness and motivation does indeed translate into better results -- and that into better prospects for the future, I hope. The people that I've known, and am getting to know are brilliant individuals. In EVERY aspect. Keith's organization and humility. Boon Kiat's insane reasoning abilities. Lianne's incredible social skills (she's a hit with the security guards) and many others. Even Yuyee's extreme devotion to the object of his love. I admire him for that. None of these people I expect to read this article, and to avoid leaving any of my friends with puffy heads and buffed egos I've avoided mentioning all of you. But you all know it just as well as anyone else.

You're special, especially you, you and you.

But the one constant? It's YOU my dear.
Nothing can take that away from me.
And I bask in the warmth of knowledge.
Knowledge of your love and your trust.

The Things We Did In NS

Here's a clueless NSF using the GPMG as a sniper rifle

Gunner: IA! IA!
Bored 3SG: *Picks up the empty casing and throws it at inept gunner's helmet*

Yeesh's 21st BDae!

Today marked the birth of a (somewhat vertically-challenged) baby into this world... One that would shape the lives of a certain group of people who were unceremoniously dumped into the orientation camp as a bunch of greenhorn freshmen. Some came with trepidation (read = me), some with babbling incoherence (Sith and Stam) and some with a voluminous amount of reluctance and irritation at being coaxed into SMU servititude (though it *should* have mellowed somewhat, right Lacy?).

Our deepest fears were confirmed when we first met our Facilitator (Faci for short/Punintended) at a certain BonMarché at Suntec City. We were lulled to believe that SMU was a haven full of Oompa Loompas that waded in chocolate fountains and sipped coffee at the resident TCC, with our very own Oompa Loompa specimen in person gracing the occasion at the dinner itself. Alas, as we soon found out to our own detriment, the school population was significantly taller than what our Faci led us to believe.









Over the next few weeks, our dear Faci-cum-Oompa-Loompa led us through one school event after the next, and soon we've found ourselves right smack in the middle of our very first summer vacation! (Alright its my SECOND but who counts anyway, right?) And our MRSF has chosen this very day to hold her birthday party at just about nowhere (Alright Sembawang's somewhere out there, but it comes pretty close to being nowhere).

And so the party convened with a buffet dinner, and we soon got down to what we always do to pass time -- Playing dumb games. First up was Polar Bear, and yours truly ALWAYS got voted out in the very first round. Owells. You know what they always say: 树大招风...

Next was 终极密码 with a bottle of Jimmy! And that really capped our day, with Mel's ears turning blood-red and Sith and Stam muttering incoherently whilst filling themselves up with the liquor. Evidence of such inebriated individuals is presented as follows:














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Oh gawd how I miss those times with these people.

And yeah MSRF= Most Revered Short Faci.
Happy Birthday, Yeesh!

A whole load of nothing to do...

Spent my couple of days off doing absolutely NOTHING. My (a)typical schedule starts off like this:
Waking up @ 10am and finding Lin back home from school (Aiyah exam quite hard la... Everyone oso say hard but I can do more questions than them...)
Going for lunch with Lin @ 12nn
Watching Prison Break/MSN/bumming from 12-5pm
Cook dinner/Buy dinner @ 6 plus
Pester HER to go home from 7-9pm whilst surfing/DoTAing/BF42ing
Summon HER to go home circa 10-ish
Pestered by HER to chat on the phone till 1am
Surf from 1-3am...

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A wonderful drama indeed, Prison Break is. That coming from a non-TV watcher, you drama aficionados please get your copy of Prison Break from your nearest *ahem* online source.
















Plot's superb, this mystery-thriller builds up to several crescendoes over and over again. But it does not try to withhold too much, unlike the very-forgotten Lost that is deep in the recesses of my cavernous HDD (how apt).

I strongly recommend it for boredom relief! To be taken 4 times a day, and those in a conspiratorial mood will have their inquisition sated...

Light A Candle

Light a candle for the opposition activist arrested at the airport just today. The ruling party returns (a little less) triumphantly to the Government. The status quo.

At least we dared to dream.

And you said this:

"Repression, Sir is a habit that grows. I am told it is like making love - it is always easier the second time! The first time there may be pangs of conscience, a sense of guilt. But once embarked on this course with constant repetition you get more and more brazen in the attack. All you have to do is to dissolve organizations and societies and banish and on the surface. Then an intimidated press and the government-controlled radio together can regularly sing your praises, and slowly and steadily the people are made to forget the evil things that have already been done, or if these things are referred to again they're conveniently distorted and distorted with impunity, because there will be no opposition to contradict."

- Lee Kuan Yew as an opposition PAP member speaking to David Marshall, Singapore Legislative Assembly, Debates, 4 October, 1956

Sir, I believed in your ideals of equality, meritocracy and most of all, democracy. There is no 'our brand' of democracy. It ain't a gimmick that we're selling here.

Or is it?
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On a less sombre note, the previous day was spent at Vesak@Orchard with Laura and SBMY. Carried a large placard around my neck, met a certain (aghast) Serene Ang who went "Oh MYYY. Oh MYYYY... OH MYYYYYYY..." and trooped around Orchard Road making not so much of a din but inviting more than our fair share of inquisitive looks.
















I've never thought that at the grand old age of 23, I would have the courage to parade myself thru the throngs of people around that area. But yea, to relive part of the childhood that I've missed out on, I wouldn't settle for anything else.

Settled on a Coffee Club CUM Crystal Jade dinner with Siusiu, KC, SQ and SJ later on. Was surprised to know that Ivy, a former TJ acquaintance of mine was attached to one of the Marist gang. It's indeed a small world, after all. SHE came along for the Crystal Jade part of the dinner, and we left for HER house after a spot of consideration on HER wanting a new bag.

What's it with bags and girls?

Quotable Quotes

"Anytime you want to look for me, go to the town council. To chat with me, drink kopi. But don't drink too much, we have to work," - Steve Chia.

A "敢死队" is better than a "怕死队"- Low Thia Kiang.

"Move on? Move on your si lang tao ah!" - Mr Brown, Persistently Non-Political Podcast

“请投我们反对党一票” - Mah Bow Tan - Source: 联合早报

"Last night, Mr Lee spoke here. This morning's paper, he said that he wanted me to sue him. Tonight, I want to tell him - come and sue me." - Low Thia Kiang

"Can they bring the price of oil down? Can they stop factories from pulling out of Singapore and find you jobs? Can they bring down the price of rice, a loaf of bread, a cup of coffee?" - Ng Eng Hen (Ed: replace "they" with "we", and you'll get to see how funny this comment is.)

Don't Look Back In Anger

Of times past. Of lives lived. Of love lost.
We've all been through such events.
The life that we've had. Uniquely ours.

Love knows no bounds. But when it's time to let go, please do.
Flashbacks of hazy memories.
The ghosts of yesterday haunt my dreams.
The place. Of all places.

The prerogative of my education.
The right of your desire to live, to love and to experience it all.
Lit my fire. My inner desire. To excel and to overcome.

Overcome I certainly did.
Regret?
Never.

Happy Birthday.

The Id, the Ego and the Superego

"Let me ask you - do you think the ministers will listen more carefully to a PAP MP than to an opposition MP out to make trouble? No, I think they'll listen to me, a PAP backbencher. And this is what I've been experiencing. Every complaint that I raise to the government has been addressed seriously. But in parliament, what does the opposition do for you?"

Irene Ng, Potential MP for Tampines GRC
Source: CNA
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Source: By Sharon Tong/S. Ramesh, www.channelnewsasia.com

Mr Lee says: "What is the opposition's job? It's not to help the PAP do a better job ... because if they help the PAP do a better job, you're going to vote for me again and they're going to be out of a job for a long time. So their job is to make life miserable for me.

"Right now we have Low Thia Khiang, Chiam See Tong, Steve Chia. We can deal with them. Suppose you had 10, 15, 20 opposition members in Parliament. Instead of spending my time thinking what is the right policy for Singapore, I'm going to spend all my time thinking what's the right way to fix them, to buy my supporters votes, how can I solve this week's problem and forget about next year's challenges?"
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Oopsy daisies!

Staying Together, Moving Ahead?

"If you are not of a certain economic class, you should not even think of going there. You should confine yourself to 4D, Toto or horse racing."

BG George Yeo Yong-Boon

on whether Singaporeans would be allowed to visit Singapore's Casino in the making.

Source: ST March 17 2004

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Of fresh eyes and Chua Chu Kang's crows
By Tor Ching Li, TODAY

SINGAPORE: If Chua Chu Kang residents want an MP with the backing of the NTUC - Singapore's umbrella trade union - they should elect People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Gan Kim Yong, said labour chief Lim Boon Heng on Tuesday.

At a rally last Friday, Mr Lim said: "If you elect Steve Chia, I'm sorry, he is not (in) my party, if he comes to me and says he's got somebody who is jobless, well, I'll tell him (he's) got to find somebody to help him."

"But if Mr Gan is your MP and he comes to me, then I'll move heaven and earth to help you. That is our pledge."

When asked on Tuesday if this meant the NTUC would not help Chua Chu Kang residents if National Solidarity Party (NSP) secretary-general Steve Chia became their MP, Mr Lim explained: "(The residents) have the opportunity to come direct to NTUC, the career link centre at One Marine Boulevard is open to everyone. There is no need to go to Mr Chia."

CNA Online
03 May 2006 0715 hrs
Link

Are we just pawns in a game of political chess?

I've always been pro-establishment, but the recent turn of events have left me pretty irked by all the mudslinging by people whom you'd expect to be higher than that. And yes, this is a non-political post.

Issue number 1: Gomez has apologized.

This has been talked to death. Repeat coverage on news broadcasts, what must he do to atone for this grave sin? Respect to Mr Goh CT though, for reminding his peers that there were more pressing issues to debate.

Issue number 2: The upgrading carrot.

It's our money. The opposition wards do not pay tax to the opposition MP. 'Nuff said.

Issue number 3: The label of 'terrorists' being applied to the people who put up the opposition banners

In what way were they doing wrong by choosing to put up their banners in the dead of night, when traffic was at its most SCARCE and thereby causing minimal disruption? Salute them for their efforts instead. Its NOTHING SHAMEFUL.

Issue number 4: Vote for us and healthcare costs will not increase?

The flip side of this issue is: we do not vote for you and healthcare will become more expensive? This is not a dichotomous situation. Whilst understanding that absolute costs will increase due to inflation, the government is bound to ensuring that the citizens have a reasonable standard of living.

Such threats do not rub off well on me. The issues, dear sirs. The ISSUES.
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And can someone clarify the mark to make on our voting slips? According to the Elections Department Website, the right way to mark is:

DO mark your choice CLEARLY with an X in the box-space on the right-hand side, opposite the name and symbol of the candidate or candidates of your choice.

BUT the SDA posters in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC are marked with a TICK!!!!
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A good post on the Hougang Rally....
Courtesy of Yawning Bread