Ah Cheng buay roti (from the movie "Ghost")

Donating my Progress Package freebies to charity

2006-05-02T00:05:00.000+08:00

I had just attended the Workers Party's election rally at East Coast Park. Yes, right next to the beach and the big longang (i.e. monsoon drain), not to mention the drizzle. Such a wonderful venue for an inspiring rally for the opposition party indeed!

Inspiring indeed. Despite the heavy odds against them, these people sacrifice their careers, place their reputation on the line, and fought hard to represent the people of our nation, to represent a glimmer of hope and justice that was fickling lifelessly not too long ago.

I'm once again saddened by the fact that I'm unable to participate in the political process as the Group Representative Constituency is once again walkover. Since I'm not able to help to change the society through political means, I have decided to donate my Progress Package payout that was credited into my account by the Singapore Government on 28 April 2006, which happened to be the first day when all political parties can conduct election rallies for the General Election 2006.

I will be donating the full amount of $900 ($800 based on the housing category that I current reside in, which is the highest possible as I'm staying in a poor public housing area; $100 for my contribution as a National Serviceman who is still serving the remaining cycles). Thus, this amount is one of the highest possible for a Singaporean who is not a senior citizen.

This is by not means a small sum for me, as I'm currently preparing for my wedding and possible finances for my new home and thus need all the financial resources that I can muster. But I will not feel at peace with myself if I were to spend this money without helping those who are much more in need. In any case, I do not deserve this kind of handout even though I did not ask for it, and I certainly do not appreciate the purpose of this payout to Singaporeans.

If you happen to chance upon this post, and if you are a Singaporean, I urge you to think about the poor and the needies. You CAN change the society that you live in. It only takes a baby step.

Note: this is on top of the 1% of my net income that I give to beggars and tissuepaper sellers every month whenever I meet them. We can only do so much, but if we pool our resources together, this will mean a lot to the poor.

No shit and asshole on TV

2005-10-31T00:40:00.000+08:00

What a great discovery! Finally, a Singaporean can finally have something to cheer about! For too long have we been known as a nation that is anal for just about anything (except for sex i.e. no anal sex, lah). However, may I draw your attention to the fact that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US of A has long been imposing a nationwide ban on use (both verbal or visual) of the word "shit" and "asshole" on national TV programmes.

And to my surprise, while watching the no-brainer Thai movie "Ong Bak" on Singapore free-to-air channel, the abovementioned phrases were displayed in the subtitles countless time. Ok, the f-words are still missing, but hey! let's take a baby step, shall we? Hmmm... seems like the promise to have a more open and free society is indeed showing its effects. Perhaps all these can be attributed to the self-sacrificing act of Ms Wendy Cheng on the cover of Maxim in bikini? An act that will truly jolt the once-anal society into action and help those with limited talent to realise their full potential?

One day, we will look back at our shit and assholes and take pride to the fact that we have shit and assholes that the people of US of A do not have on TV.

A solid photoshop job indeed!

2005-10-31T00:16:00.000+08:00

Speaking of Ms Wendy Cheng, she recently graced the cover of the supplimentary section of Maxim Singapore magazine, much to the delight of her legion of fans and the SG blogsphere.

I must say, the quality of the photos are really impressive. Kudos to the Art Director (whose name was listed on the cover) who really did a superb job in photoshopping the pics that brings out the hidden potential in Ms Wendy Cheng. He truly deserves the "Best Makeover Photos Post Production" award of Year 2005 (if there is one) for his intricate use of colour tone to liven Ms Cheng's fair complexion with a sporty tan, his subtle yet daring application of the skew and sizing feature in Photoshop to bring Ms Cheng's much-maligned figure to a more publicly acceptable (or shall we say, more palatable) proportion that is more suitable for a celebrity of her stature.

Having say that, we must congratulate Ms Wendy Cheng for placing her fans' interest ahead of hers by making yet another public, albeit daring and brave, appearance despite her busy schedule with talks, writing assignments, interviews and of course, sponsorship deals. Gracing the cover of a well-respected men's magazine that is well-known for its colourful and thought-provoking content has certainly given her greater commercial and drawing power, and raises her public image that is only befitting to the Blogger Queen of Singapore. She is indeed the leading face of young Singapore women who displays great intelligence in harvesting her fame and artistic skills in photoshopping her photos to bring out her best quality while obscuring other blemishes.

Perhaps a national achievement award is due come next year's National Day for being a public figure that many Singapore women aspire to be?

Handicapped toilet cubicle

2005-10-30T18:22:00.000+08:00

Read on Sunday Times that Wendy Cheng aka Xiaxue lost two sponsorship deals (omigosh! people actually pay her a handsome "3-figure" deal for advertising on her blog???!!) due to the recent public uproar over her post on able people using toilet cubicles meant for the disabled.

Clearly, I'm not a fan of Ms Cheng (not even close to being one). I must confess that I find her constant desire to defend her every action and remark on her blog rather irritating and juvenile. But that's not the point of this post. In this incident, I totally agree with... Ms Cheng.

You see, what good is a toilet cubicle when it's not used? A man's gotta do what a man 's gottato do. And nothing is stopping him/her to pee/dump when the urge is strong. And no pristine toilet cubicle that is "meant for the disabled" is going to stop one from doing it. C'mon, run the risk of public humiliation? Moreover, if a disabled person is not waiting to use it, why leave it for the sake of doing so? A major duh indeed.

And let's not even compare the cubicle against the handicapped parking lot. The purpose and duration is totally different bewteen these two. An asshole will park in the handicapped lot for minutes to hours, thus depriving a disabled person from using the lot. This results in inconvenience as the disabled will have to park further away or may not even be able to get out of the car due to the narrower width of normal lots. In a cubicle, how long does it take for an able person to pee/dump? Ok, some may have other ECAs inside, and those ought to take their artistic talents elsewhere, or go to Hotel 81.

And of course, if a person has any sense, don't go using the handicapped loo if there are other unoccupied and servicable cubicles. I know, the handicapped one tends to be cleaner and is thus more welcoming. But if you see a handicapped person approaching the toilet, simply anticipate his/her intention and use the normal ones.

One person supposedly stated in the article that the cubicle will be more filthy due to the heavy usage. We are talking public toilets here. So there. Take your expectation of clean loo back home.

400m walk to school

2005-10-30T17:52:00.000+08:00

On my daily trot to the Ang Sua MRT station, I often notice a long line of teenagers waiting for cabs at the taxi stand since the newly formed Republic Polytechnic moved into the temporary premise at the former MOE HQ at Kay Siang Road.

Now, Kay Siang is like one bus-stop away (Bus No. 132, can go Scotts Road one) from Redhill MRT. Yes, one bus-stop. And if one is to walk from MRT Station to Kay Siang, it's perhaps an estimated distance of 400m. Which I think it's the guiding distance that SBS uses to deem that the Buangkok Station should remain close as people will not walk more than 400m to take a train.

Poly students are between 17 to 20 years old. And yet they will rather take a cab to school when it is well within walking distance. Let'see, the flag down rate is perhaps $3.20, and maybe an additional peak hour charge. I also notice most will pool together for the cab, so each cab will carry about 3 to 4 (max) students. So each will pay approximately $1. Geez, I guess I'm from the old school when $1 is all I have everyday to school.

Which one would you rather do, spend $1 for 400m of walk (in the process, waiting for 10 minutes at least for the cab) or walk 400m in 5 to 7 minutes (via 2 traffic lights)?

Sigh... the kids nowsaday hah...

What to do when u see dead birds

2005-10-30T17:42:00.000+08:00

Read from the papers that, if you see a flock of dead birds, you are advised to contact National Environment Agency (NEA) to investigate. This is to detect any potential incident of the much-feared bird flu.....

Being a vigilant citizen of Singapore, Ah Lee called NEA's hotline,

Ah Lee: "Allo! Nee-Ah ah?"

NEA: "Uh... yes? This is NEA? How can I assist you?" (very courteous, in line with the recent focus on good customer service"

Ah Lee: "Ah, paper say got see dead jiao, many many, then must call right?"

NEA (alert): "That's right. So are you reporting that you have seen a flock of dead birds?"

Ah Lee: "ah lor, but got prize money or not? Nehmind, I helpchu anyhow lah."

NEA (anxious): "Please tell us where you have seen the dead birds."

Ah Lee: "Neh, at Balestier Road lor, a lot ah."

NEA (lagi anxious): "Where exactly are they located?"

Ah Lee (proud liao): "Aiyo, a lot leh, Balestier Road there hor, got Boon Tong Kee, got Loy Kee. So many dead birds inside. So got prize money or not?"

NEA: "doooooooooooo........................." (drop call)

Liverpool Jersey & Mother

2005-10-30T17:38:00.000+08:00

I was wearing my Liverpool jersey to lunch on Sat. While waiting for the lift, Mother asked,

"This t-shirt buy one or free one?"

Me (curious and slightly pissed given the price of the "t-shirt"): "Free??!! Buy one lah."

Mother: "Wah, Carlsberg t-shirt also must pay."

Me: "................"

Mop

2005-09-25T23:05:00.000+08:00

Ah girl mopped the floor in my apartment while I was at work. Here's an appreciative thank you to you!

Being KL... (III)

2005-09-09T23:20:00.000+08:00

Being the diligent workers that we are, we decided to drive from downtown Singapore (where our office is) to a place near Toa Payoh that is famous for good and cheap hawker food (you guess lor!) just for lunch. We needed to rush a bit, 'coz our lunch hour is a measly 2 hours only.

We managed to find a table and promptly choped the seats with our asses. Braised duck rice was the decision, except for one lady. It turned out that she, being a Catholic, would not eat meat on Friday.

So, being a very helpful person, and noticing a fruit stall just next to our table, I advised her,"Eh, since no meat for you today, you better eat some fruit lah."

Pointing to a stall not far away, I said,"Why don't you go and buy some goreng pisang at that stall, and the rojak is very good at that stall too..."

Being KL... (II)

2005-09-09T23:13:00.000+08:00

There we were, stuck in a bloody traffic jam on the good old Saturday afternoon in the middle of a good old sunny day STORM. And not forgetting the goold old CTE where traffic jams are like MBA holders walking around Raffles Place... a common sight. Let's not even go into the "die-die-must-have" attitude that most 25-35 years old Singaporean graduates have towards a MBA degree.

The traffic was moving at a breakneck speed of 25km/h, breakneck because I nearly broke my neck as I dozed off in my seat due to boredom. Woken up by my drooling (it was pretty long but I managed to skillfully tarik it back in time before touchdown), I decided to kill the boredom by reading the good old Saturday edition of our national newspapers, Straits Times.

I handed one section to Auntie who was driving, "Auntie, wanna read?"... She replied instantly,"No, thank you... huh??!!"
.
.
.
.
It took her about two seconds to get it...

Being KL... (I)

2005-09-09T23:06:00.000+08:00

Ah Girl busy typing away on her laptop and listening to a CD with her earphones. Some kind of transcripting job. So I trotted into the living room and sat down on a sofa next to her computer table, joining her mum who was watching a Chinese current affair programme on that outrageous case of "LTA forces me to move out in 1 month! How can???" (let's not even go into the details of the case, it's simply too fuck up).

After two seconds, I turned around and asked, "Auntie, I did not know you can read lips..."
.
.
.
.
.
Apparently, Auntie muted the TV so that Ah Girl could focus on listening to the CD and did her transcripting job...

quote fron yawning bread...

2005-08-20T14:27:00.000+08:00

was reading yawning bread's blog about the non-event of the year, the Presidential Election. the following quote is found right at the end... couldn't agree more.

"It's a conundrum that is familiar to all observers of history. The people want their say. The longer it is held back, the more blatant the machinations, the more the resistance rises. The more the resistance rises, the more insecure the ruler becomes about submitting to the people's free verdict."

k boh liao...

2005-08-20T14:09:00.000+08:00

my girl and i really did it this time. no, not shotgun if that's what you are thinking. we did a classic case of "jiak bah bo sai bang". translating loosely from Hokkien: "after eating a full meal, nothing to excrete".

so there we were, lazing on a sofa after a hearty dinner at her granny's place. i was flipping through the trashy "Wanbao" (Chinese newspaper) and spotted an article quoting Singapore's Chief Justice, Yong Pang How. it so happened that the latest edition of Singapore phone directories were lying nearby, still wrapped in plastic bag.

"eh, wanna check out CJ's phone number?" i asked.

"siao ah? sure delist one lah. just pay some money to SingTel and your name and address will not appear in the directory." ah girl replied as a matter-of-fact.

"check check lah, nothing to do wat." i replied, personifying the term "jiak bah bo sai pang".

so here goes the list of important people that we looked up, and the results:

most important person, ME! result: not listed. duh! 'coz i do not own a residential line!
ah girl. result: ditto... no residential line.
ah girl's mother... dun have, because she pays the extra bucks to be delisted.
Chief Justice... dun have also, what do you think? he's not exactly the most popular man in town, right?
UOB chairman... also dun have 'coz people will go to his house and visit him personally.
UOB chairman's son... dun have also.
Minister Mentor... also dun have.
Fann Wong... i guessed her REAL chinese name, but dun have.
thinking that Li Mingshun may share the line with Fann, i checked for his name too. Alas, dun have.
since i was checking Fann, might as well check for Fandi Ahmah. also dun have... wah lao, people also switch to mobile phone completely liao!
last but not least, the most famous person in Singapore right now... mr brown! GOT!!! now that i know his number and address, maybe i can give him a courtesy call one day.

so there you go, 1 out of 11. mission accomplished. K BOH LIAO!!!

Ah beng buay DVD

2005-08-13T23:45:00.000+08:00

Ah Girl asks Ah Beng from M'sia one day: "Ooi Beng ah, you say you got lobang to buy "OEM" DVD movies issit?"

Ah Beng: "Ah. Wat you want?"

Ah Girl: "How much first? Good quality or not? Wait got "ren tou" (human heads) go here go there, like that watch oredi also no shiok."

Ah Beng: "Un-lah! Help you get also KBKB! I sure QC first ok? I make sure my brudders in KL give me good stuff one, guarantee! Bao jiak one!"

Ah Girl: "You say one hah! Onz! Can help me get XXX, YYY, ZZZ, AAA, BBB and CCC ok? Thankyu you hor! Next time I go M'sia, you pass me lah."

Ah Beng: "No problem!"

(A few days later... Ah Beng called Ah Girl from KL to SG)

Ah Beng: "Ah-low! Ah, got the DVDs liao, you coming over this Saturday right?"

Ah Girl: "Wah, so fast, you sure got connections hor? Which one you get?"

Ah Beng: "All those that you listed except one lah, that "XXX" movie lor, I tested it but nabeh, quality chin pai. So I returned to my brudders and F them for such lousy quality."

Ah Girl: "Aiyah, that movie very solid one. How come leh? Got mosaic? Or got ren tou fly here fly there?"

Ah Beng: "Boh lah, at first I though my DVD player pai liao, 'coz no colour. Then I tested other DVD, got colour leh. So I returned the DVD and scolded those chow bengs for selling black and white movies lor! Nowsaday, where got people watch black and white movies one!"

Ah Girl: "................................................." (long silence)

Ah Beng: "CCB! Dun tell me that movie suppose to be black and white one! Aiyoh, pai seh leh! I go get it next time! Sorlee hor!"

Question: What movie is that "XXX" mentioned above?
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: Sin City

Public nuisance?

2005-08-11T22:32:00.000+08:00

four person gathered outside CPF Building during lunch time to voice their opinions about transparency, or the lack of, in charities and government-related organisations. Yahoo News here.

do they pose a nuisance to me? i don't think so. what about you? and if the police took their shirts away for "further investigations", would they then be charged with indecent exposure for being topless?

all in all, give them due respect for trying. action speaks louder than words, especially if when words fall into deaf ears.

New Paper's take on Tongkat Ali Coffee

2005-08-11T21:45:00.000+08:00

such a coincidence, New Paper published an article on 10 August, 2005 on Tongkat Ali, the same day that i posted my take on the beverage.

Excerpts:

"Tongkat Ali coffee is a hit, especially among elderly males who believe that consuming the brew can make them sexually active again, reported the New Straits Times.

Tongkat Ali, a herb believed to have aphrodisiac properties, is available as an ingredient in tonic drinks.

Sales of Tongkat Ali instant coffee have been brisk, as the product is readily available at roadside stalls and coffeeshops in Malaysia...

In Singapore, Tongkat Ali is available only as a medicinal product.
Sale of food products containing the herb, including Tongkat Ali coffee, is banned as there is no scientific proof that these products are safe for general consumption."

oops! it seems that i have gotten it wrong... TA powder is ok whereas TA coffee is banned! but wait... does it sound contradictory when it's approved as a medicinal product while food products are not allowed citing lack of scientific proof? am i missing something here or is it because the supposed medicinal form is not for ingestion but for external application? hmmm.......

Seven Swords... sux!

2005-08-11T21:29:00.000+08:00

watched it two weeks back on a sneak preview. costed me a whopping $19 and boy was it a total waste of my time (more than 2 hours) and money! the plot was such a let-down with predictable storyline and uninteresting characters.

director Tsui Hark's recent works have been pretty lame, to say the least, and this one is no different. the pacing is uneven, draggy in many instances. the characters lack depth due to poor development. this is not helped by uninspiring acting from almost the entire cast. the female roles are essentially "vases", especially so for the Korean actress.

to make matter worse, the fighting scenes were supposedly choreographed differently from those of "Crouching Tiger", i.e. less flying around and more focus on "real" martial arts. in short, back to the basics. yeah, Tsui should go back to Moviemaking 101 for the basics. in army terms, you basically "see fuck-off" during the fights as the actions were so fast (not because the actors were really good and fought real fast like Jet Li) due to the deliberate editing that no one knows exactly what happened. "geez, did he throw a punch? uh... has he drawn the sword? wait... did something HAPPEN????" you get the drift.

i was so bored by the plot and pace, and not forgetting the uninteresting fights that i fought hard to keep myself awake throughout the movie. sigh... Chinese movies are not what they used to be...

Pets in Chatuchak Market

2005-08-11T16:01:00.000+08:00

a friend of mine took this photo in Chatuchak Market in Bangkok. was pretty saddened by this picture even though the puppy was really adorable. you will understand if you are an animal lover and you had been to the pet section in Chatuchak Market. the animals are living in appalling conditions. you can imagine what will happen to this cute puppy when no one buys it in a few weeks time...

Tongkat My Ali... NOT!!!

2005-08-10T21:46:00.000+08:00

went to Malacca during the N-Day weekend and boy, was the trip fruitful... lotsa historical siteseeing, and LOTSA makan! believe or not, we ate an average of 10 meals a day over a span of two and a half day. so glad to survive the trip, albeit with a much expanded waistline... :p

anyway, i recently read an article on the papers about the HSA ban on the pride of Malaysia, the jewel of men's family jewels, i.e. Tongkat Ali. apparently, the sale of Tongkat Ali powder as health supplement is not allowed in SG as the claims have not been substantiated by scientific research, or so they say.

nevertheless, curious of this supposedly potent aphrodisiac, i embarked on the search of instant coffee laced with TA powder the moment we reached Malacca or Meleka. the green packet was the first and only version that i spotted in the famous Malacca shop, Tan Kim Hock. it contains 15 sachets and costs RM10.90 after Rm5.oo discount. pretty steep for instant kopi, yeah?

anyway, i was pretty bushed from the long ride to Malacca and the heavy lunches, so i decided to give TA kopi a try. and boy, was i disappointed! not only was it unable to keep me from dozing off, the much touted effect of "Marikita" (aka rise to the occasion) was no where in sight! well, not that i have a chance to rise to the occasion, but you get my drift... :D

on the return trip, we stopped at the last rest stop before the 2nd Link for a short break. so i went into this local products shop and spotted several more versions of TA kopi. decided to give it one last try thinking that the brand was of inferior quality, i bought this black packet labelled aptly "POWER-ROOTS"! this one costs me a whopping RM18.00 with 20+3 sachets. pretty ex if you ask me.

well, the verdict is, this brand tastes better in terms of the coffee aroma and ginseng after taste. it did manage to energise me after a morning jog on N-Day, but i'm still not convince as it may have been due to the after effect of exercise. overall, it was quite a disappointing exercise as it certainly did no tongkat my ali!

SNE by mrbrown... on CCTV in MRT

2005-07-25T22:39:00.000+08:00

Lastest Singaore National Education by mrbrown here. love Point 16... so funny yet so sad.

"16. That it took so many people falling into tracks to get the CCTVs installed at train stations (and they are still not fully operational) but one London train blast to get CCTVs installed into MRT trains itself, pronto. And also installed everywhere else too."

C'mon, terrorist attacks will bring the economy down, while numerous falls into the tracks only result in mere loss of civilian lives without impacting the economy . We are such a pragmatic bunch. Makes me wonder if Singaporeans are treated like ants to a colony...

Giving 1% of income to the poor

2005-07-02T00:33:00.000+08:00

Consider the following scenarios that are common to most:

You spot a busker performing along the street/tunnel some distance away from you.
You spot a physically disabled/ mentally disabled/ old person sitting along a busy street/tunnel begging for money.
A physically disabled/ mentally disabled/ old person approaches you in a hawker centre/food court for some money to buy food.
A physically disabled/ mentally disabled/ old person approaches you in a hawker centre/food court to buy his/her tissue paper (3 packets for $1) or other stuff like bracelets, soft toys, handicraft, jade pendants.

What would be your common response to these scenarios? (Note: it's not that I equate buskers with beggars, but to avoid repeating myself on several common reactions, I decide to put the responses together instead of the original plan to categorise them based on busker, beggar, peddler.)

Walk briskly pass the busker, thinking "Wah lau eh, singing so half pass six, still expect me to give you money? Pleeeaaasssee lah! It's torture to my ears!"
Walk briskly pass the busker/beggar, thinking "Aiyah, I don't earn much, let those rich people tip them lah."
Walk briskly pass the busker/beggar, thinking "Aiyah, you think I "Robert" izzit? Scully this fella earns more than me or has a bigger bank account balance siah! Bluff one lah! Chey!"
Begin to take out the coin pouch to check for coins, but take such a long time that, by the time you fish out the coins, you have already walk pass the busker/beggar. "Aiyah, lazy/paiseh/ley chey to walk back lah. Next time lor..." Then realise the procrastination was sub-consciously deliberate.
Wave off impatiently at the peddler, thinking "Aiyah, at home so many tissue paper, no need lah!" or "Aiyah, the things he/she sells not nice/useless one, no need lah!"

I will be the first to admit that I have encountered countless of such scenarios, and had all the mentioned responses depending on my mood at that moment. I did think about it sometimes, and I admit that I feel very sorry for them, and disgusted by my behaviours.

Last week, I was out shopping (Great S'pore Sales, so die die must buy stuff to top up my spacious wardrobe) with my GF at Orchard Road. After spending more that $100 on shoes and apparel, we went to the food court in Lucky Plaza for dinner. I noticed an old lady (she looked like she was suffering from mild dementia) going from table to table, trying to convince the diners to buy her jade beaded bracelets. Obviously, most would wave her off impatiently or simply shook their heads.

We were saddened by this sight. I was not sure what I should do, i.e. give her a few bucks but NOT buy anything, or buy a bracelet (which I do not need, and frankly, it is quite ugly) at her asking price (which could be $10; you never know) which I am not prepare to pay for. Doing the former could be insulting to such peddlers, but this is the best I can do since I'm not earning a five figure salary.

I'm not sure what happened next, but I think the lady sitting in-front of us gave her some money and asked her to buy some food or tea for herself as I heard the old lady repeating the words "Orh, lim teh ah..." True enough, she was later seen carry a cup of tea and looking for a place to sit down.

I then realised that I had just spent more than $100 without even blinking and yet I, on more than one occasion, procrastinated when approached by peddlers or beggars. Why are we so selfish? I presume someone will only turn to begging as the last resort. As for peddlers, they may feel that selling something is the more respectable alternative to begging. For buskers, it could be their interest in performing arts and not solely due to financial gains.

I realise we should never second guess their intentions (like "Eh, this fella may be a millionaire; you never know!" or how much profit they are earning (like "C'mon, Watson sells a 10-pack tissue paper for only $1.99!") as we are simply making lame excuses (be it consciously or sub-consciously, kinda like taking longer than usual to fish out the coins) to part with our money. The moment we second guess, the moment has pass, and it will soon turn into a habit.

We should help the poor as much as we can. Therefore, I have decided to set aside 1% of my take-home pay (albeit not much) for beggars, peddlers and buskers. If a person's take-home pay is $3000, 1% is a mere $30, which translates to about $1 donation each day. I would rather donate directly to these people then through charities (not that I don't trust all of them, just some of them ;p) or during flag days as I feel that I can impact their lives directly.

The same goes for lending a helping hand whenever possible. If an old man is pushing his trishaw up a steep road, I will help him out. When a lady is carry bags of grocery and is clearly in need of help, I will not hesitate to help. A little effort goes a long way in building up a kind and generous attitude towards others. I realise that I have been too selfish and hesitant in offering help in the past, and it is time to make a change. Hopefully, others will see the point in all these and change their attitude as well. It's a small step, but it only takes a spark...

"Will you carry your GF's handbag?"

2005-06-27T23:41:00.000+08:00

Sunday's issue of Newpaper featured an article about men carrying their GF's handbag in public. Just read this post via tomorrow.sg. Sentiment exactly.

If someone interviews and asks, " Mister, will you carry your GF's handbag?", my instand reply would be, "For fuck?" (puns not intended... sort of)

I mean, carrying handbags means being chivalrous meh? Have you ever seen a knight carry a handbag for the fair maiden? The GF's hand bo lug ah, no eat rice so no strength to carry her own bag? C'mon lah, there are better ways to show your affections (like buying a Prada bag for her :p). Carrying her handbag is not. No wonder SG men are known to be henpecked, and SG women are known to be spoilt, because those goons spoil them in a silly way.

Treat your mate with respect and tender love, encourage her when she has doubts in her abilities, support her when she is down. Pampering is certainly not the way to go.

Kena bird shit does not mean strike Toto!

2005-05-31T18:14:00.000+08:00

Went to buy lunch in a nearby hawker centre yesterday. Stopped by a S'pore Pool outlet and "contributed to the local charity" by buying a Toto ticket. On the way to the hawker centre, a bird ambushed me in a carpark by strategically bombing my left hand.

"Wah, so zoon! Sure touch Toto tonight!", I thought.

So after I da bao my lunch (the bird shit still on my left hand), I quickly went back to the outlet, used my blessed left hand to hand the dollar bill to the aunty, and purchased another Toto ticket. I held the ticket in the same blessed hand, hoping that luck would transfer to the ticket and I would strike Toto later...

A few hours later, the two tickets were in the wastepaper basket... Perhaps I should not have washed the shit away until after the results were announced??!! ;p

Miracles do happen... twice at that!

2005-05-31T16:26:00.000+08:00

One look at the blog photo, one can easily guess that I'm a Liverpool fan (unless you are totally ignorant to football). And if one happens to be damn free and actually scrolls down this infrequently updated blog, one may also notice that I'm a Boston Red Sox fan (unless you are totally ignorant to baseball).

What are the odds of having two sports teams that you support overcoming tremendous odds, shedding their underachiever/underdog tags, and winning the ultimate titles in miraculous fashion, all in the span of six months?

Here's a breakdown:

Team: Boston Red Sox

Sports: Baseball

League: Major League Baseball (American League East Division)

Last World Series title: 1918 (can you believe it???!!!)

Major Nemesis:
New York Yankees for the fact that both teams are in the same division and fighting for the division title every season, and the fact that NYY has all the cash at its disposal to buy the best players in the game to twart BoSox's efforts year in year out.

Why I support Red Sox:
Many would have easily chosen to support the Evil Empire aka Brooklyn Bombers aka New York Yankees given the fact that it was bestowed the grand title of Team of the Century for being the winniest team. Yes, they beat Real Madrid apparently. Also, the franchise has the deepest pocket of all baseball which allows it to sign the best the game has to offer, thus loading the batting lineup with sluggers from top to bottom.

But not me, for I'm always rooting for the underdogs. And boy, is the rivalry between Red Sox and the Yankees one-sided or what?! It takes Red Sox 86 years to win the World Series again, and during this period, Yankees had won countless titles. In fact, the Red Sox Nation (i.e. the fans of Red Sox) seemingly resigns to the fate that the team will never win again, after a series of unbelievable cock-ups in the most crucial moments (like a weakly hit ball trickled through the legs of a Red Sox first baseman) ALWAYS occurred to break the hearts of the fans.

I have always been a neutral watcher of the game all these years, until two seasons ago when I was in USA and witnessed on TV the incredible comeback by the Red Sox over Oakland As (sorry, Perry!) in the AL Division series. The Red Sox came back from 2 games down in the 5-game series to win the next three games and set themselve up against the old nemisis, NYY, in the AL Championship Series (ALCS).

And boy, what a series it was! Each game was a close battle, filled with passion, drama, controvesies, and ugly fights. It all came down to Game 7 in Yankee Stadium where winners would go on to the World Series. The game seesawed and went into extra innings (something like extra time in soccer). And guess what? Another dagger in the heart of the Red Sox Nation when Aaron Boone (Yankee third baseman, not known to be a power hitter) crashed a Tim Wakefield's knucleball (which is pretty hard to hit, and even harder to slug a HR given its unpredictable flight and soft approach) beyond the left field wall... And so the Curse of Bambino continued...

But how the Curse reversed itself the next season! Deja vu, as both teams crashed again the ALCS 2004. After the first three games, it was 3 games up for NYY. All seemed lost for the Red Sox. C'mon, no team had ever came back from 0-3 to win a 7-games series, and especially not when your opponent is the Evil Empire! And not forgetting the humilating defeat in Game 3 (19-8) in-front of the Nation in Fenway Park.

Ah... that was just a teaser to make the eventual victory all the more sweeter! The sweep was not to be, for the Sox came back in from the dead in the ninth inning in Game 4, with 2 outs away from another typical heartbreak season, to force a tie game. The game went to extra innings (and became the longest postseason game ever) and was eventually won by David Ortiz's HR! The momentum had turned to Boston, despite what the 3-1 advantage may suggest. Game 5 was another extra innings affair, loaded with drama and emotions to make a grown man crinched. It was soon back to Game 7 again, Yankee Stadium... just like the previous season.

Somehow, someone decided that 86 years of being an underdog and favorite losers is enough torture for the Red Sox Nation. Game 7 was a walkover as the Sox steamrolled the Yankees to clinch the series! The team went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals (touted as the favourites given the power hitters in the lineup) 4-0 in the World Series. The ALCS would go down as the most unbelievable comeback in MLB history, a reverse sweep of unprecedented proportion.

Team: Liverpool Football Club

Sports: football or soccer

League: English Premier League

Last European Champions League title:
1984 (it was known as the European Cup at that time before the competition was revamped into group phases in early rounds and renamed as Champions League)

Why I support the team:
Liverpool FC was the King of Europe and England from the late 70s to 80s. Its success during this period was far greater than the Manchester United team in the 90s had achieved. For one, LFC at that time was playing breathtaking football, dominating teams in English League, European competitions, as well as other teams in the world. Manchester United, during its golden era in the 90s, could claim domestic titles, but its domestic dominance could never translate into Europen stage (it won the European Champions League title once).

However, its glorious days in the 80s were tragically brought to an end with disasters in 1985 and 1989. The Heysel disaster in May 1985 and the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 were incidents that many Liverpool fans will never forget. The team was subsequently banned from European competitions due to fan hooliganism, thus stopping it from achieving more European glory.

1990 saw LFC won its last English League title before the league revamped to its current English Premier League, which LFC has never won since. Since then, the team spiralled to mediocre performance season after season, losing to teams that it should have beaten, putting up erractic performances that frustrated fans worldwide. The "triple-crown" (UEFA Cup, English FA Cup, English League Cup) in 2000/01 season raised hope of a new successful era, but that was not to be as fans had to endure more disappointing seasons while other English teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea leapfrogged it in domestic competitions. Hampered by a considerably lower bankroll, Liverpool was unable to fill its squad with more quality players for a long season and post serious challenges in all competitions, unlike other teams that are public listed.

So why do I support this team despite its recent form? If I were to switch my allegiance to support, say Arsenal or Man Utd (horrors of horrors!!!), I would just be a fair weather supporter. No, a true Kop will never do that, for a true Kop will stick with the team through thick and thin, for "You'll Never Walk Alone".

This season (2004/05) saw Liverpool in its worst domestic performance. Finishing 5th in EPL behind local rival Everton is a slap in the fans' faces. Worse still, finishing 5th means that Liverpool will not qualify to participate in the prestigious European Chamopions League next season.

25 May, 2005... despite its erractic form, Liverpool was able to defeat strong opponents in Juventus and the star-studded Chelsea (or Chelski, with its Russian backed financial support) in the Champions League knockout stages and set itself up against another mighty opponent, AC Milan of Italy. On paper, Liverpool was certainly no match to the Italians in all departments. But it has Rafael Benitez, the Spanish manager in his first season with LFC.

Disaster struck in the 1st minute when a freekick led to a Paolo Maldini goal. Soon, it turned into a rout as the score was 3-0 Milan at half-time. Benitez worked his magic during the interval with his motivations and tactical skills. A superb Steven Gerard header narrowed the score to 1-3, thus sparking an amazing run that saw Liverpool came from 3-0 down to equalise in a span of six minutes in the second half. Vladimir Smicer, in surely his last outing in a Liverpool shirt, smashed home the 2nd goal, and soon after, Xabi Alonso followed up with his blocked penalty (earned by a superb through ball and a breathtaking run by Gerard into the penalty box) by Dida by smashing the ball into the roof of the net.

The score was tied at 3-3 after full time and extra time. The difference in quality was apparent as waves after waves of Milan attacks were launched at the Liverpool side, only to be thwarted by the brave and selfless Reds who could only defend in numbers. Many were down with cramps and exhaustion in extra time, but their determination and dedication pushed them beyond the fatigue level and then some. Bodies were flying in for tackles, blocking any shot attempts, disrupting passes by the skillful Milan players. And who can forget the miraculous double saves by Jerzy Dudek in the 117th minute (3 minutes towards the end) from Shevchenko, one of the best marksmen in world football?

Then it was the dreaded penalty shootout. After the now famous Dudek Shuffle, Liverpool won the game. AC Milan did not deserve to lose, for it was the better team in terms of quality. But Liverpool deserved to win for its sheer guts and determination, its never-say-die attitude, and the belief that the 40,000 traveling fans in the stadium in Istanbul. The song "You'll Never Walk Alone" never ceased even after the 3-0 score at half time.

At half time, I was absolutely disappointed. But I stayed on to watch the game, hoping, not for a miracle, but for at least a Liverpool goal that would narrow the margin and brought some respect to the team. However, I feared that the score might even widen to 4-0 or 5-0. I was glad to stay on and witnessed the greatest comeback in European football ever. I cried when the score was tied at 3-3, and I gasped, together with the millions of fans watching on TV or in the stadium when Dudek pulled off a double save in the 117th minute. I cried again when Dudek dove the wrong way, yet stuck out his left arm and leg in time to block Shevchenko's penalty kick. Liverpool has finally ended years of frustration to be crowned the King of Europe.

Two teams in two different sports in two different continents, both overcoming tremendous odds and winning the ultimate titles that have eluded them for years in miraculous fashion. A fan who happens to support both teams... sweet.

Meaning of "Dubya"

2005-05-31T16:19:00.000+08:00

From my previous post on George Bush (from Bohemian Rhapsody), my curiosity leads me to find the definition of the term "Dubya". A simple google yields the following (from Dubya's World):

Main Entry: DUBYA
Pronunciation: 'duhb-"yah
Function: noun
Etymology: Old Texan variation of the English letter "W"
Date: circa 1836
 1. Presidential nickname
 2. Usurper, pretender
 3. Media Event, figurehead

So here you go, a nice apt nickname for the most powerful man on the planet Earth. Oh, maybe second most powerful, after Cheney.

Religion and Science

2005-05-25T00:07:00.000+08:00

A recent post at Bohemian Rhapsody on "Bush Vows to Impede Science".

Excerpt:
"In response to a shift in the Congress for loosening the limits on stem cell research, Dubya vowed to use his veto powers to prevent "the use of federal money, taxpayers’ money, to promote science which destroys life in order to save life."

A statement obviously made to placate his right-wing religious base.

The Religious Right’s fundamental belief that "we should not play God" is ludicrous. We have been tempering with life using using medicine and technology for centuries - the lifespan of man has been extended; motality rates have been dramatically lowered; numerous diseases have been defeated. It’s hard to see how stem cell research and cloning are God-defying acts, while medical advents in the fight against cancer and heart diseases are acceptable. If we want to true purists, why not reject medicine (and for that matter, technology) altogether?"

The same religious base also argued against the death of Terri Shiavo, who passed away recently after her feeding tube was removed. Effort had been made to prolong her life with life support system and Florida governor, Jeb Bush, tried unsuccessfully to overturn the court rulings to terminate her life. So who is playing God now?

Uncle, can help donate?

2005-05-24T23:52:00.000+08:00

My 7-year old niece, who is now studying in Primary One, came to me this evening with a card in her hand. "Damn, must be school donations." I thought. True enough, her school (a prestigous one in SG) is currently having a donation drive to build a school library.

What is so neat about this donation drive is that it combines donation with reading. The student is supposed to get an adult to choose from a list of English and Chinese books (available in school libraries or National Library branches) for the student to read. That student will then have to read the chosen title in order to receive the donation. There are three categories of reading lists, ranging from $5, $10 to $15.

Given my current financial situation, I naturally would pick one from the $5 list. However, when I opened the donation card, I noticed that the latest entry was already filled out with the book title (a Chinese book), the amount (geez! $10!!!), and the date, sans the name of the donor.

I looked at my niece and said, "Hey, I think you've gotten it wrong. You're not supposed to dictate how much a person should donate by writing the amount in the card first, or in this case, read the book that you like first, and then get the person to cough out that amount. A donor must have the choice. You get what I'm trying to say?"

Being the smart girl that she is (she has the intellectual maturity of a 12-year old), it was obvious that she knew exactly what I was saying. Her eyes fickled, she blinked, and then she said, "Yes, Uncle, I know what you mean... (pause for two seconds) ... but do you have at least $10 now?"

And I fell off the sofa, no kidding. What to do? With this kinda response, one can only LL fork out $10. Geez, I'm sure the rich school alumni can raise enough dough without this donation drive.

As a parting shot, I told my niece, "Hey, perhaps when you grow up, you may want to consider becoming a salesperson or a career in muliti-level marketing (MLM). You sure do well, one."

Shit, kena strong-armed by a 7-year old. Damn lao kui.

"Ban Steven Lim" Petition

2005-05-24T23:42:00.000+08:00

Saw this online petition to ban the infamous Steven Lim from TV programmes via Tomorrow.sg. It's high time someone stands up and does something about about it. Oh, while you are at it, also create petitions to ban sitcoms such as "Phua Chu Kang", "My Sassy Neighbour" etc that are totally tasteless, brainless, insulting to audience's intelligence, and oops, lame.

ICA very efficient

2005-05-24T14:48:00.000+08:00

Went to ICA Building (former SIR Building) at Lavender just now to collect my new IC. Damn, those people are really efficient. Just last week, I submitted the application via Internet, and two days later, I received a notice in my snail mailbox that my new IC is ready for collection! Either the number of people borned in my birth year is really low, or the ICA staff are really eng (i.e. free).

Anyway, I went to ICA Building during lunch time. Anticipating a long wait (due to lunch time crowd, no less) at the line, I equipped myself with newsapapers and my 6-books-in-1 "Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy" for this trip. Time spent at the information counter was a mere two minutes, and before I could recite the National Pledge, I was given a queue number.

"Counter 9 to 11, please."

Trotted into the waiting area, looked up the digital board, and was pleasantly surprised to see I was next in line! Wait, don't be happy so fast! I thought. Based on my experiences, queue numbers do jump erractically, and also, the number is prefixed with a letter. So it can easily jump from "A123" to "C981" when your number is "A124".

A firm believer of Murphy's Law, I decided to read my newspapers and sat my ass down. And believe it or not, just when my butt touched the plastic seat, my queue number flashed! Damn! This is way to efficient! Am I dreaming???

It took a total of ten minutes from the time I stepped into the building and the time I stepped out. And not forgetting the speed at which ICA produces the new IC. Impress.

Yamete (やめて)!!!

2005-05-24T14:32:00.000+08:00

A hilarious exchange via MSN:

Setting: Perry and I were chatting on MSN. Somehow, the topic shifted to Japanese AV...

Perry: "All I can hear from the movies are female actresses screaming "Yamete!" I guess it means "Don't stop!""

Me: (thinking) "Issit? Like buay dio (incorrect in Hokkien) leh... Better ask my Japanese expert..."

(Quickly asked the expert who happens to be online...)

Expert: "Yamete (やめて) means "STOP!" or "PLEASE DON'T"."

Me to Perry: "Ooi! Wrong lah! It means "STOP! PLEASE DON'T!" Clash of Asian and Western cultures lah!"

Perry: "Oh, influenced too much by Western thinkings liao, Asian culture is so hypocritical!"

Not good enough for a state funeral?

2005-05-22T14:08:00.000+08:00

How ignorant of me. I was not aware that Ong Teng Cheong was the only President of Singapore that did not receive a state funeral when he passed away until my buddy posted this on his blog "Bohemian Rhapsody". It also led me to this wonderful blog "Yawning Bread" that has a detailed analysis on this non-event. Why the inconsistency? President Ong had served the nation in various posts and had contributed immensely to Singapore.

To be frank, I'm not someone who gives a damn about titles and ceremonies (they are there for show only), but somehow, I feel that President Ong deserves the recognition.

A Great Example on trying too hard to impress

2005-05-22T13:51:00.000+08:00

Another blog post highlighted by Tomorrow.sg. Well, this one was too tedious for me to even venture beyond half way. Not that the language is too cheem for me, nor were the mathematical formula and graphs too complicated for me to comprehend (basic calculus stuff, lah). It's just that I get really irritated by such posts (not only by the author, but other bloggers as well) where bloggers spent much time and effort just to satisfy their ego trip.

Please don't try so hard to impress lah, just look at mr brown and mr miyagi, their posts are short, sharp and witty. Even if your blog has a regular viewership, it's just a blog! If you have nothing to blog, please don't feel obliged to do so. So please, get a life, go out and enjoy the sun, the rain, and oh, the Great Singapore Sale is coming. That helps a lot.

I oso say!

2005-05-22T13:46:00.000+08:00

Read this post from Tomorrow.sg... it describes ST's usage of a picture of Kylie Minogue and the choice of header that goes with the article. My instant reaction when I read the cover page of the newspaper was exactly the same as the title of the post.

Oh, better add this in... my lady friends also scoff me for silly remarks on Kylie's misfortune. For the record, I like her... songs, especially those in the very dancable album, Fever. So guys, please understand that breast cancer is a sensitive issue with the ladies, so dun joke about it. I learn it the hard way. Sorry for those who were offended!

Most Idiotic Question during an Interview

2005-05-22T13:10:00.000+08:00

The most irritating, pointless, idiotic question that one faces during an interview is "What do you see yourself doing in 5-years time?" This question is simply useless and redundant. In fact, I feel that it is a kind of entrapment for the interviewee. Does it help to gauge one's ability to think out-of-the-box, creativity, work ethics, intelligence, analytical strength?

Standard Reply One:
"In five years time, I will kick your sorry ass out of the team and replace you as the Head of Department."

And what's wrong with this reply? Nothing! It's perfectly fine for a person who is Type A (some organizations like A-type babes apparently) to be aggressive and career-minded. Companies will love to have a go-getter in its ranks. But if one is to reply in such manner, chances are, the bosses will wet their pants and you will very likely to not be invited for second interview.

Standard Reply Two:
"In five years time, I will still be stuck in this job, serving you, my dear boss and leader, humbly. Oh, I have so much to learn under your guidance and leadership!"

This will score points for a gahmen job, I suppose. But c'mon! Such a loser reply! If, after working five years, one is stuck at the same job without promotion, it's time to move on...

Standard Reply Three:
"In five years time? Hmmm... let's see, I will probably get married next year, then quickly have two babies (or more) to qualify for the baby bonus. At the same time, I will move into the spanking new HDB flat in the now fully developed Sengkang (or Punggol) estate and commute two hours to and fro to work daily. Fifth year will be busy, 'coz I will start to do some "volunteer" work with the primary school that I want my eldest child to study in."

Hey, this is THE Singapore Dream, right? So this has to be THE reply. I'm sure the interviewers will be nodding their heads in unison. One may even offer you baby tips and some obscure tax rebates that you can claim with the 2nd child, while another will provide you with inside contacts to the school board. Brilliant!

Giving massages to school athletes

2005-05-22T10:49:00.000+08:00

Anglo-Chinese School received complaints from some parents of the water polo team players that the team coach molested the boys while giving them massages. Some players remarked that it was perfectly normal to give one another a rub down after trainings or matches to relax the sore muscles.

To be honest, the parents have every right to lodge the complaints. It is absolutely wrong for the coach or players to massage one another. It's absolutely wrong for the school to allow such actions to take place.

C'mon, a guy should not massage a guy. The school should hire a female masseuse to do the job! Then the parents, especially the dads, will applaud this move and be more willing to make donations for the sake of their children.

Inside Deep Throat

2005-05-22T10:45:00.000+08:00

Waiting at the entrance to the theatre for the documentary "Inside Deep Throat"...

Friend: "Eh, what's the title of the movie we are watching? Forgot liao."

Me: "Forgot? Let's play charade to guess the title then..."

Cold treatment from the two lady friends for one minute...

Sorlee... it should be "Integrated Resort"

2005-05-17T09:35:00.000+08:00

Aiyoh, pai seh pai seh hor! In my previous post, I used the term "casino" instead of "Integrated Resort" or IR in short. What a silly mistake, how can I mistake casinos with IRs??? They are so different in terms of compositions and designs, target audience, and types of entertainment offered. My bad, my bad. :p

"Dun issue thunderbolts of wisdom from the top of Mt. Olympus!"

2005-05-17T09:25:00.000+08:00

Here is an article from Business Week Online reporting on Steve Wynn's comments on Singapore government's direct involvement in the casino designs. Straits Times published a similar report on Wynn's remarks, but obviously, certain criticisms were omitted, amongst other things. For those who are not aware of this, Steve Wynn is the owner of the beautiful Bellagio and the Mirage in Las Vegas.

Don't you just like the remark on "thunderbolts of wisdom" (you don't see this on ST, I suppose)? :D kena suan big time!!!

Excerpt:
""It's control and direction by people who've never done this before," the Business Times newspaper quoted Wynn as saying. "There's an awful lot of control and direction in the documents we've received which, frankly speaking, is unsophisticated."... "Don't issue thunderbolts of wisdom from the top of Mount Olympus," Wynn was quoted as saying."

OB markers exist in friendship too

2005-05-09T00:16:00.000+08:00

Many Singaporeans are well aware of the existience of OB markers in Singapore politics. This results in severe self-censorship in voicing public opinions, commenting on national policies etc. Despite recent "encouragement" from politicians in the ruling party to the people to speak up and be heard, and a visible effort to reduce or define the OB markers, recent events, notably the "AcidStar" incident (i.e. AcidFlask and A*Star), do not suggest much improvement in this area.

Turns out that OB markers do exist in friendships too. You do not know what they are until you step on it, kinda like a landmine. And when you do, both parties get hurt. Clearly it's a matter of honesty vs. awareness of such OB markers. Self-censorship in politic opinions is already bad enough, but does one have to subject himself to that in a conversation with a close friend too?

Only two approaches possible: keep one's mouth shut and talk only about mundane stuff in life, OR fuck that self-censorship thing and speak your mind, express your feelings, show your concerns, be considerate, even at the expense of the friendship when your good intention is abused or misunderstood.

Easier say than done. Why? Because it hurts to break up a friendship, especially when the cause is as ridiculous as it seems. Still trying hard to find a balance. Guess I will just keep babbling on since so much have been lost already...

Religion and Politics

2005-05-09T00:08:00.000+08:00

We learned from history that religions and politics do not mix well. In countries like USA and Singapore where people of many cultures and religions reside, this is especially important. Laws and constitutions were created to prevent religious groups from influencing public policies.

The recent events in USA are very disturbing though. Read this article (originated from Peking Duck). Freedom of speech and actions vs. submission to the rules of the church. This is really sickening...

Dealing with my life now... and friendship that I cherish

2005-05-08T03:56:00.000+08:00

It seems that when you feel that things cannot be anymore worse, it just did. Losing one’s job is no small matter, especially if it is under unfair circumstances, and you are in a foreign land. Compounded with the fact that you lose more than you gain financially after selling your car at a hug loss, paying two months of rent as a penalty to terminate the lease prematurely etc, it is hard to imagine what can possibly cheer you up.

Call up your best friends for consolation? What do you expect them to say? Take it easy? Frankly, I do not expect much, especially when I can pretty much anticipate the stuff they are going to say. All I need is a voice that I can listen to at the other end of the line, someone who can understand my current feelings. I just want to be honest and empty my frustrations, my feelings to friends whom I deem to be important in my life.

Somehow, after several disappointing incidents, things are not what they seem to be. Relationships turn sour, one decided not to communicate with you anymore, another changes the attitude and expectation towards the whole friendship. Lesson learned… honesty is not always a virtue. Telling white lies are. Nobody appreciates honesty when honesty hurts. It will only lead to misunderstanding and accusation that you have insulted them. So now I’m just going to revert to my old self i.e. bottle everything up, and deal with things all by myself.

It’s funny how honesty is not always appreciate when, as a child, you were told to be honest ALWAYS. Guess that’s just the way life is as an adult, and dealing with men-women relationships. Good intentions, plans for the future for your loved one, emotional feelings, confessions… perhaps it is foolish of me to expect that kindness and thoughtfulness will always be reciprocated and appreciated. How naïve.

Let’s just move on.

Liverpool vs. AC Milan (25 May)

2005-05-07T05:49:00.000+08:00

Finally, Liverpool has returned to the final of Champions League despite a mediocre league performance. Having missed Liverpool games for almost two years, I'm so glad that I will have a chance to catch this game in Singapore. A blessing in disguise for me? :)

Does this sound familiar?

2005-05-03T08:27:00.000+08:00

Here is a post from Peking Duck on a reporter in China sentenced to 10-year jail term for "illegally providing state secrets to foreigners". Read his comments, especially the last part about police state and the strategy. Sounds familiar siah!!!

Army Story: A Near Death Experience in Kanchanaburi

2005-05-03T03:15:00.000+08:00

A Near Death Experience in Kanchanaburi

Some Singaporeans may be fortunate enough to visit the wonderful province of Kanchanaburi of Thailand during their national service days. Who can forget the wonderful canteen where food is good (but oh so sinful!) and cheap, and the gift shops are stocked with “CK” jeans, “Armani” products etc that will make any true Singaporeans drool in delight. And certainly not forgetting the beautiful canteen helpers who are ogled by thousands of hot-blooded NSFs, “lau-jiao” NSmens, and of course, the regulars. But I digress…

Training in Kanchanaburi during the summer season is no walk in the park. Temperature soars to 40 degrees Celsius and above during daytime, and plummets to below 20 at night. Drinkable water is hard to find, and every soldier has to ration water supply before marrying up with the supply trains.

Due to the extreme hot weather and drought, vegetation and plants in the training areas is very dry and thus becomes extremely combustible. A gust of wind can easily result in bush fire.

It was during one of the droughts that representatives from a certain Armoured Regiment had to take part in a division exercise, acting as skeleton enemy troops. This story tells the near-death experience of three NSFs, 3SG X (the section commander), CPL Y and CPL Z (3SG X’s section mates).

These three soldiers were given orders to scale a hill about the height of Mt. Faber and plant a few target boards to simulate company size of enemy entrenched. They were instructed to fire their rifles (blanks, of course) when the reservists Armoured battalion appeared in the axis to draw their attention as part of the division exercise scenarios. Besides equipped with two M-16s, the soldiers were given one smoke grenade. 3SG X did not particular like the idea of using the smoke grenade, as he clearly remembered the advise given before the exercise that any heat will potential ignite the dry vegetation. Given the hot weather, 3SG X instructed his men to bring along their water bottles.

As soon as their M113 stopped at the foot of the hill, the three soldiers gathered the items, confirmed the instructions with the officer, and made their ascent up the rather steep hill through a narrow trail that was covered with thorny shrubs and bushes.

The climb was tiring; the gradient was steep, the equipment was cumbersome to carry, and the thorny shrubs were, to put it simply, a pain in the arse. They finally made it to the top and promptly set up the target board. 3SG X assessed the situation and found that the possibility of the reservists spotting the target boards under such dense vegetation was pretty minute, and he was sure that given the attitude of reservists and the deafening roar of M113 and SM-1 tanks, they would not hear the rifles too.

3SG X decided that, if the rifle shots could not get their attention (the axis was about 1 km away), the last resort was to ignite the smoke grenade. He felt extremely uncomfortable with this as he noticed the surrounding vegetation was pretty dried. But for the sake of the exercise, he would have to carry out the orders diligently. As a precautionary measure, he and his men made a 1.5m x 1.5m clearing on the ground by removing all twigs and leaves. He then instructed CPL Y to ignite the smoke grenade on his commander, and “make damn bloody sure” to toss it in the clearing ONLY.

After going through the plan, the trio then settled down for the long wait. After about 2 hours, 3SG X, through the bino, spotted a convoy of armoured vehicles roaring down the axis. He immediately ordered the men to fire their M-16s. True enough, the convoy did not do their IA (Immediate Action) drills. It was clear that no one heard the shots. 3SG X had no choice but to give the order to ignite the smoke.

Alas, it turned out that CPL X, who was tasked to do just that, was not comfortable with handling a smoke grenade. After much fumbling, he managed to pull out the ring and tossed the grenade in the middle of the clearing. “Ok, they should see us this time…” thought 3SG X.

After three seconds, all hell broke loose. Smoke came out of the grenade alright, but the intensity of the heat soon sparked tiny flames in the surrounding shrubs that were at least 3 meters away!!! As soon as the trio spotted the flames, 3SG instinctively ordered the men to put out the flame with the water from the bottles before it spread. A noble but impossible effort indeed, for the dryness in the shrubs, twigs and leaves provided a conducive environment for the flames to spread.

In a matter of seconds, the trio was surrounded by fire, and the bottles were already emptied. In a split second, knowing that putting out the fire with their pee is not a viable option, 3SG X grabbed their men, who were still shaking their empty bottles frantically, and shoved them towards the trail, and yelled “FUCK IT!!! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, NOOOWWWWW!!!”

It must have been a rather comical sight, seeing three soldiers running full speed down the steep trail, ignoring the cuts on their faces, arms, and hands by the thorns. They soon reached the foot of the hill and without delayed, jumped into the cargo hatch of the M113.

“Sir, bush fire! We have to leave!” yelled the soldiers.

The driver woke up immediately, started the engine, and zoomed away from the hill, which was now engulfed in thick black smoke and roaring flames…

The group finally stopped at a river a few kilometers away from the hill. It was clear that the fire was spreading really fast, as the sky was now covered with smoke. After narrating the incident to the officer, 3SG X and his men decided to take a closer look from the river. Just as they were approaching the riverbank, they noticed a group of Thai farmers were resting and having their lunch. Soon, their lunch was interrupted when a despaired looking farmer caught their attention to the burning hills. Yes, hills, for the fire had spread to the surrounding hills and was making its way to the sugarcane plantations at the foot of the hills.

To cut a long story short, the plantation was destroyed by the fire. 3SG X and his men were thinking of spending the rest of their NS doing extras for this rather unfortunate incident. Worse of all, the trio was distraught by the images of wailing farmers who fought the fire in a losing battle. They felt so terrible for the farmers that none could talk for hours…

On the same night, 3SG X was ordered to the battalion HQ to be interviewed by the CO. The funny thing is, 3SG X was not afraid, as he was confident that he did the right thing and took the necessary precautions to ensure the success of the exercise. Soon, he was standing in-front of the CO, a burly man with a tough reputation. 3SG X narrated the incident clearly to the CO, and he listened attentively. The CO then told 3SG X that it turned out that Division Commander was present at that location and was thus aware of the whole incident, so the CO had to report accordingly.

“Deep shit…” thought 3SG X. “Chiam until 40 years old liao!”

However, luck was on the trio’s side. No extras were dished out, and 3SG X was told by the CO that he acted responsibly by making an effort to create a clearing for the smoke grenade, and had to ignite it to save the exercise. Thus, no fault was found. And that was not all. To the trio’s relief, SAF compensated the farmers for their losses, and it turned out that they quite liked the fire actually, for they had more than what the products could fetch in the market, and they did not have to harvest it!

And it was rumoured subsequently that all smoke grenades and thunder flash were banned from exercises in Thailand. Not sure if this ban is true, or still holds, but it sure had a happy ending. The trio could have perished in the fire if they left the scene a few seconds later…

cartoons

2005-05-03T02:43:00.000+08:00

since i so damn eng (due to unforseen circumstances) now (and for the forseeable future), and after reading the post by Finicky Feline on childhood cartoons, i might as well list down those that i watched. and yes, i spent way too much time in-front of the TV during school days. my gosh! i could even memorize the entire TV schedule for the week, be it Ch 5 or Ch 8! (last time only two channels hor, not like now).

so here goes:

1. Gummie Bears
thumbs up; nice theme song... "Gummie Bears, bouncing here and there and everywhere..."

2. Transformers
thumbs up; not the 3D version hor, this one is the plain old vanilla one. still remember the 1st episode when Autobots and Decepticons fought and crashed into Earth, and many eons later, they woke up. my favourite is Soundwave, which i had as a toy. many viewed Soundwave as a bad choice, 'coz he's a non-transport transformer i.e. not a plane, truck, or car. so what he's a Walkman (yes, so very 80s)? he's a walkman that FLIES, ok? and he's a Walkman that is an "eh-kow" i.e. mute, unlike that babbling Starscream that i totally hate. best of all, he can "eject" cassettes that transform into nasty creatures. so dun play play ok? wah... corny... play = Walkman... :P

3. Mask
wah, this one really starts a toy franchise... is it Mattel? Hasbro owes the brand of Transformer, i think. anyway, quite like the cartoon, but later grew tired of it. reason? simple. the bloody leader of MASK macham keeps the best stuff for himself, like fast car armed to the teeth, a Mask named Spectrum that REALLY kickass with its "bao-kah-liao" functions (other Masks only have 1 or 2 special functions; Spectrum has a ga-zillon), and an irritating robot as a butler. again, catchy tune "... working all the time, fighting crime..."

4. Centurions
thumbs up. three dudes who kickass with juice-up suits. Jake Rockwell (land ops), Ace McCloud (air ops), and the leader whom i forgot the name (with moustache; sea ops) are true American heros, spreading words of Freedom around the world, just like what Americans are doing so well right now. Jake Rockwell, in his yellow gears and large cannons (kinda kinky...), is my fav. too bad i was too poor to afford the toys. could only play in OG, the ultra-trendy, upmarket departmental store in the very hip Chinatown.

5. My Little Pony
Totally hate it. not cute, totally girlish/gay. ten thumbs down.

6. Carebears
initially, i found them quite adorable. but after awhile, the girlie storyline just plain irritates...

7. Visonaries
WAH!!! TEN THUMBS UP!!! i would rate this as one of my top 3. about two groups of opposing groups of knights (why always two groups???) who were given staffs that can summon dieties and demi-gods. each knight can also transform into mytical creatures. my fav character is the one who can summon a cool-looking god that shoots arrows. alas, good things do not last. seems like the popularity waned off after 1 or 2 seasons... pity. "Visionaries, Knights of the Magical Light... Visionaries..."

8. Starcom
great toys, this one. the concept of usin magentic forces to combat gravitational forces is cool. the story is about (again) two groups of forces stranded on a planet and fighting each other for rare resources. they wear magnetized boots that allow them to "stick" onto hovercrafts and do battle.

9. Getchaman
thanks to the kind soul who commented on Finicky Feline's post, i was able to know my all-time favourite Japanese cartoon, Getchaman. pure classic. absolute sage for it spans over at least 4 seasons, and in the process, some characters died tragically, only to return mysteriously, aircrafts changed after "upgrades". even the Fire Phoenix, which will ALWAYS appear in the final battle in each episode, underwent several revamps. one thing never changed, though, is that the leader of the pack will always wield a nasty sword while standing on top of the super-combo aircraft (that was formed by connected five planes and vehicles together) to transform the entire entity into a Fire Phoenix. great soup opera, this is.

10. Macross
The mother of all long winded love story that is disguised as a space battle. still remember running at full speed from school to home (a 5 min walk) just to make it in time to catch the 6:30 pm show. but alas, despite the cool Valkyries and battroids, action scenes only last approximate 20% of the entire saga. got super turn off by that love triangle between the hero, his on-off relationship with the celebrity singer gf, and the female commander. spinsoff include real solid computer games and toys, and of course, BattleTech and MechWar.

more to come... oldies like Smurf (not the adult version that we so "adore"!) and Poepeye.

name change

2005-05-02T03:20:00.000+08:00

a dear friend of mine asked me why i changed my blog title and URL. well, when you have loads of spare time, you start to fiddle with stuff (donch you dare let your one-track mind wander off!). anyway, i quite like the song "Ah Cheng buay roti" that plays to the tune of the ever so popular "Unchained Melodie". so...

NEW addition:
another buddie of mine asked the same question, and whether if i'm trying to hide my identity on advise from the truly excellent Singapore Blogger's Practical Guide to Minimising The Risk of Defamation Suits found in Singapore Legal Mumbo Jumbo Demystified. he said it would be useless since my name appeared in my posts.

relag lah, bro! it's not like i will make some remarks about A*Star that would result in a threat of defamation lawsuit from Phillip Yeo, like what happened to our dear AcidFlask. i'm only capable of making silly remarks on nonsensical things. i'm pretty sure Mr. Yeo or other leaders would not be bother with me. relag, relag!

the fine art of swearing (in singlish)

2005-05-02T02:39:00.000+08:00

GEEK wrote a pretty instructional guide on the fine art of swearing in modern day Singlish. a must-read for urban dwellers in the fine city of Singapore.

time for me to brush up this skill before i return. a bit rusty liao... else the 1st Class Honours degree in Singlish swearing that i sweat for in the University of SAF will be forever gone to waste.

Silverhawks

2005-05-02T02:13:00.000+08:00

just read a post about cartoons we used to watch when we were kids in Finicky Feline's blog. someone posted a comment about Silverhawks.

For those who are too young to know what Silverhawks are, it's a futuristic cartoon about a group of superheros who wear special suits that resemble different species of birds. each one is able to literally spread his/her wings and glide by spreading his/her arms out wide, thus expanding a metalic fabric between the, urm, armpits and the wrists. physics in play, truly a cool design.

anyway, anytime someone mentions "Silverhawks", its catchy slogan will ring in my brain. i will then have a strong urge to burst into fits of laughter, fo it reminds me of a wisecrack remark that i made when i was in secondary school.

you see, our class was "fortunate" to have a very good Physics teacher who was very dedicated to her work. however, Miss X's fashion taste needed some major help. it just seemed like her entire wardrobe consisted of SLEEVELESS one-piece dress. mind you, she was not that old at that time, definitely in her 20s.

anyway, since she was always wearing SLEEVELESS dresses, who could fault the class for noticing her armpits while she was busy scribbling on the blackboard? when we all noticed her rather unshaven patches (understatement, trust me), i bursted out "Wah! Silverhawk sia!!!"... not sure if she knew who said that, and what it meant, but the rest of the class sure did! actually, i'm pretty sure she did not understand, for the SLEEVELESS dresses stay until we graduated, and the bushes were still as luscious...

Anti-gay law

2005-05-01T22:40:00.000+08:00

this is absurd... ludicrous...nuts! Alabama politician is now trying to create a bill that bans all books with gay characters or written by gay authors. here is the link to the news report.

do read the comments from Peking Duck. sad world... who says America is the Land of the Free???

podcast II

2005-05-01T22:23:00.000+08:00

found an article that describes the uses of online audio content.

sound file say sound file lah! choot wat pattern??!! TMD!!!

Podcast, Schmogcast

2005-05-01T22:05:00.000+08:00

yet another fancy name for something that is totally mundane. eveyone knows what MP3 files are (well, if you don't... tough). so... podcast is just a term for MP3 files (or whatever media that the files were created in)!

here's a link to explain the simplicity of it all.

mrbrown has it, mr miyagi has it, seems like the world has it! a narration recorded in a sound file, available for download to visitors of the website/blog. and they have to give it a fancy name. just like Singapore government which likes to add a "Polis" in a new project to generate much needed attention. so now that iPod is so damn popular, the word "Pod" must be used lah??!!

so if the gahmen wants to start a campaign that promotes safe sex, and decide to distribute condoms, will they call them "cum-pods"? this may help to bring the message to the younger generation since they probably have a iPod. maybe a U2 "cum-pod" will appeal to U2 fans.

2005-05-01T00:07:00.000+08:00

nice!

2005-05-01T00:06:00.001+08:00

reminds me of Hansel and Gretel...

2005-05-01T00:06:00.000+08:00

beach near the bay area overlooking Tampa

2005-05-01T00:05:00.000+08:00

the nasty one...

2005-05-01T00:04:00.000+08:00

nice little house near the bay area... kinda oriental, huh?

2005-05-01T00:03:00.000+08:00

the big one and the tiny one; side by side comparison...

2005-05-01T00:00:00.001+08:00

a caterpillar and a flower...

2005-05-01T00:00:00.000+08:00

if only all goal posts in soccer are like this, then goalkeepers will be very happy. cooling...

2005-04-30T23:59:00.001+08:00

looks like a trail in Alice in Wonderland...

2005-04-30T23:59:00.000+08:00

the sign says "Snapping Turtle"... all I see is this thing in the bottom of the pond... I guess this turtle (or whatever is remaining of that once ferocious Snapping Turtle) must have met an unfortunate incident. the big branch fell on it, and it let out a loud screech before dying...

2005-04-30T23:57:00.000+08:00

looks like some kinda Chinese secret weapon...

2005-04-30T23:56:00.000+08:00

if this is the size of a tadpole, i wouldn't want to see the adult frogs/toads... they are huge!

2005-04-30T23:55:00.000+08:00

aaahhhh... shade....

2005-04-30T23:54:00.001+08:00

ooohhhh.... different types of plants....

2005-04-30T23:54:00.000+08:00

"let's all go to the toilet together, can?"

2005-04-30T23:53:00.002+08:00

"are you taller than me?"

2005-04-30T23:53:00.001+08:00

flamingoes having their lunch...

2005-04-30T23:53:00.000+08:00

beautiful trail in the Sunken Garden

2005-04-30T23:52:00.001+08:00

pink flamingoes

2005-04-30T23:52:00.000+08:00

flamingoes playing one-leg; maybe they have been to S'pore before and learned this game then.

2005-04-30T23:51:00.000+08:00

Tropicana Fied (yes, it's named after the Tropicana Orange Juice... notice the big orange near the center?)

2005-04-30T23:49:00.000+08:00

BP before Saturday's game.

2005-04-30T23:48:00.000+08:00

Damon chatting with Mirabelli (I think) during BP.

2005-04-30T23:47:00.002+08:00

Go Manny!

2005-04-30T23:47:00.001+08:00

Francona chatting with his team during BP.

2005-04-30T23:47:00.000+08:00

Johnny Damon batting.

2005-04-30T23:46:00.002+08:00

Trot Nixon batting with Johnny Damon at 1st.

2005-04-30T23:46:00.001+08:00

Manny Ramirez

2005-04-30T23:46:00.000+08:00

David Ortiz delivering his moonshot over the outfield wall with the swing!

2005-04-30T23:45:00.000+08:00

Curt Schilling winding for his pitch!

2005-04-30T23:44:00.002+08:00

Jason Varitek batting

2005-04-30T23:44:00.001+08:00

nice view behind the homeplate

2005-04-30T23:44:00.000+08:00

Mark Bellhorn taking a strike...

2005-04-30T23:43:00.000+08:00

Johnny Damon waiting on deck.

2005-04-30T23:42:00.000+08:00

Mark Bellhorn batting

2005-04-30T23:41:00.001+08:00

Manny warming up during BP.

2005-04-30T23:41:00.000+08:00

BP...

2005-04-30T23:40:00.002+08:00

BP...

2005-04-30T23:40:00.001+08:00

During batting practice of the Sunday game (final game in the series).

2005-04-30T23:40:00.000+08:00

From top to bottom: John Halama, Keith Foulke, Mike Timlin & Son, and David Wells.

2005-04-30T23:39:00.000+08:00

High kick!

2005-04-30T23:38:00.000+08:00

Bronson Arroyo warming up before the game with Jason Varitek catching. Kevin Millar was trying to help out by providing a target for Arroyo to pitch, probably inside.

2005-04-30T23:37:00.000+08:00

nice day for baseball... well, actually weather does not matter 'coz this is an indoor stadium!

2005-04-30T23:36:00.000+08:00

this sucker is going to the stand! HOMERUN! look at the swing by Manny Ramirez.

2005-04-30T23:35:00.001+08:00

2004 World Series MVP, Manny Ramirez (RF).

2005-04-30T23:35:00.000+08:00

Red Sox Nation's favourite player, Johnny Damon (CF). whenever he appears, the crowd roars.

2005-04-30T23:34:00.000+08:00

ZZZOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!

2005-04-30T23:33:00.001+08:00

the girlie high kick pitching style of Bronson Arroyo.

2005-04-30T23:33:00.000+08:00

i know the picture is damn blur, but look how fast those players charged to the mound! the moment David Ortiz (Boston) threw down the bat and lumbered towards the Tampa Bay pitcher, both benches cleared in a matter of 3 seconds. no kidding, these guys live for this.