the river flows

Post-MDIS Days So Far

2009-02-23T01:30:00.005+08:00

It has been 9 days since the last day of school. It has been 9 days since the end of a 1.25 years period in MDIS. It was surreal - just like how I felt when my days at my primary and secondary school ended. And right now, I am swimming in the night sky - groping my way objectivelessly around a pitch dark environment. There remains a few months before I get pulled into NS. And I don't really have an idea of how I can spend these few months meaningfully.

For the past 9 days, I have been going out with my friends daily. On days where there was money to be spared, it was fun. On days where there was little in the wallet, it was relatively boring. You see, there isn't really a whole lot of enjoyable things you can do in Singapore - unless you are willing to spend a considerable amount. An example of a really really enjoyable day would be to dine at a restaurant, put all that awesome food down my digestion system before window shopping and rounding off the day with a movie at my favourite cinema (Cathay Orchard Cineleisure or Shaw Lido). Another really really enjoyable day would be to spend the day at the beach or any of the theme parks. Well, I am just listing down some of the more enjoyable days I have spent within the past 9 days. Of course, if I have $160 to play paintball for a day or $50 to ride 40 minutes' worth of Go-kart, the day would be really really enjoyable too. And why not go on a holiday if I have more money to spare? How I wish I could spend every day of my life before NS doing these stuffs. That would be nice, but the costs are unimaginably high. What's a budget-centric me got to do? I want to dine at a restaurant every day, I want to catch a movie at my favourite cinema every day, I want to spend time at the theme park every day, but all that'd be impossible.

When the time calls for it, it's possible to scrimp - at the expense of more boring days. I love my fast food and some lower-cost food so eating these instead of restaurant wonders is still acceptable. When the budget calls for tighter constraints, playing video games with my friends does well to substitute catching movies at my favourite cinemas. Of course I do enjoy activities like swimming and cycling from time to time too. Well, that's about it. That's what I can do if I am out with a smaller budget, which is true for 25% of the times.

Let's face it, Singapore is a ridiculously boring place. 9 days since the last day of school and it's easy to see that. Almost every other day, I find myself traveling to or past the same locations and walking through the same few shopping malls. It's not that terrible, especially when you have close friends whom you can talk to on and on all day, but in an extended run, waking up to another day where I find myself not knowing how to spend the day meaningfully, or at least enjoyably, may drive me nuts. And so we are brought back to the fact that Singapore is indeed a boring place.

Thus far, I have been talking about the activity aspect of my post-MDIS life. The other aspect to my post MDIS-life would be the people aspect, I suppose? It takes only 9 days to realise who I will maintain contact with for the future. There isn't really a need to keep in touch with that many people so yeah, it's expected that the number of people whom I keep in touch with after the last day of school is small - I'll never forget my close friends. There are others, however, whom I want so much to keep in touch with, but come to think of it, I am perhaps asking for the implausible. It's implausible to ask for contact with these 2 persons because I seldom hang out with them after classes during the MDIS days, so wouldn't it be odd if I suddenly ask for a meeting? The fact that these 2 persons are females further exacerbates my wishes. It's hardly imaginable these days that persons of opposite genders will meet regularly without any motives (So YES, persons of opposite genders who meet regularly usually have objectives). Hey, I am being practical here. And it seems that the situation will remain just this way.

Why Some Schools and Lecturers are Flawed

2009-01-31T21:34:00.005+08:00

Studying for exams is bad enough. Starting to study for exams a few days prior to the paper is worse. But can you blame me for that - for only starting to study a few days before I sit for the paper? No, you can't. What's the point of early revision? Wait, let's look at the bigger picture. What's the point of exams, anyways? Aren't they just memory tests? You memorise the information and you spit out the data when answering the questions. That's exams. So what's the point of early revision when all that you've been working for is an exercise in memory? Won't you just forget the information were you to start revising early? So now you know why I always begin to study a few days prior to my paper.

Sorry for the digression. And yeah, I was mentionin that starting to study for exams a few days prior to the paper is worse. But the pages of a thousand scattered sentences is worst! Now, that may sound confusing but allow me to explain. What I am saying is that the coursebooks and lecturers' notes are all haphazardly done - something that I have noticed for the past year. Wait, I need more paragraphs to rant about this.

Alrite, there's rich information, but problem is: They are scattered all over the book - yes, like a jigsaw puzzle - meaning they are utterly unorganised. Points that belong to a certain section can suddenly pop up in another unrelated section and that brings unnecessary trouble during my revision. I have to flip through the pages of the coursebook and scan through each page carefully for any 'hidden' points that don't belong where they are located. It's because of this that I have to make my own notes - it's because the coursebook is just so damn unorganised!

That's not the only problem with the coursebook and lecturers' notes. More often than not, I would find overlapping points here and there - or elaborated points which just don't rhythm with the main headings. These make me go, "Hey, is this sentence supposed to be here at all!" I aren't even sure whether I would be right if I really do write the given points down in my paper. And when there are no overlapping points or displaced sentences, there are sentences which just do not make a whole lot of sense, but fortunately, those instances are rare.

So you thought that everything's been resolved. NO! The English written in the coursebooks and lecturers' notes are absolutely terrible. There are several mistakes - here, there and everywhere - and when read, these mistakes make the sentences sound like they were being written by some drunkard or kid. Often times do I find incohesive sentences as well.

Simply put, coursebooks and lectuers' notes are just unreliable. Granted, they provide the ingredients for a well-done exam, but they sure like to shove raw ingredients to me. Now, not only do I have to cook these ingredients, but also combine them and cook them again so that I can attain a respectable dish. All these make studying for exams more of a chore than a practice. I wouldn't mind it were the exams testing us on concepts and creativity (then yes, that's the way we are supposed to study for exams - we need to make a good dish), but HEY, the DAMN EXAMS NOW are testing our memories, not our concepts or creativity (so the dish needs to be pre-cooked for us on a plate).

Don't you get it? It depends on the objective of the exams. If you are going to test our memory, you have better give us a dish to swallow so that we know how it tastes like and will be able to tell you how it tastes like when you ask us. If you are going to test our intelligence (note: testing for memory is not testing for intelligence), then you are allowed to give us only the ingredients and tell us to make a dish from those ingredients.

SOME SCHOOL AND LECTURERS DON'T KNOW THE OBJECTIVES OF THEIR EXAMS! So of course, they administer the wrong treatment. This is soooo flawed and will forever be because they just refuse to admit that they are wrong.

This will be my last exams. Well, lucky. Anyways, I don't really have the energy to carry on with this flawed system anymore. So yes, lucky that this round of exams will be my last.

The Last Hump Before the End

2009-01-24T13:42:00.007+08:00

The looming project deadlines gave me immense, yet constant pressure for the past few weeks. Due to the great demands of both projects, I had never felt compelled to begin with either until the last 2 weeks leading to the deadline of the projects. Certainly, I was lazy, but that did not mean I put in any less effort when doing the projects.

Again, I recalled flashes of my less-than-desired academic life at my poly when I received my results for one particular project. Due to the confidential nature that comes with this topic, I shall not reveal too much BUT I dare say that beneath all the supposedly fair marking of projects, there remain some lecturers who are biased in their marking, often resorting to cheap underhand tactics and tricks to undermine our talents and efforts to deliver an under-considered, crappy score - something that is a crushing blow to our dignities. It wasn't my 1st encounter with such a unjust lecturer - and it wouldn't be my last. But I am surprised that depsite the ostensibly 'fair' system that our education industry in Singapore adopts, there remain a few black sheeps.

And what can we do about the situation? Absolutely nothing. It's like the customer service line - Customers are always right. But in this case, lecturers are always right. So they can be nigh unjust in their marking and we can do nothing about it. How do they cover this up? Simple. They employ a lack of transparency in their marking and fail to coherently list out any of marking criteria. When questioned, they exercise manipulation by adopting an intimidating stance via the exploitation of authority and skillfully evading questions and changing subjects. How disappointing. That the good students don't always get the marks they deserve.

Needless to say, there are other lecturers whose flaws in their markings are nothing short of being obvious. Extra work and effort don't always get recognised, nor do some abilities. But at least, the marks administered are respectable (though I expect more for all the effort that I put into my work and the final quality of the work).

But what can we do?

2009

2008-12-30T22:01:00.004+08:00

2008 would cease to exist soon, sealed away in a memory capsule and suspended within the realms of my mind. 2008 holds many beautiful memories, but the past is past, and what I would like to do now is to work my way towards what needs to be done in 2009.

Come to think of it, 2009 seems more like a predictable year for me. I am going to finish my last 3 weeks in MDIS, take the exams and work on my grauduation project - and that's it. After that, I would be aimless till mid-2011. Waiting for NS is being aimless. Being drawn into NS is being aimless. Serving NS is aimless - well, at least when I put it in line with my desired career path and future. Predictable, isn't it?

But if there's anything which history has taught me, it is the fact that life is full of surprises. At this time last year, December 30 2007, I thought that 2008 would be 'just another year'. Well, it seemed like it would be 'just another year' 2 months into 2008, but surprises - both big and small - started popping out gradually throughout the year and there was a drastic change in my life. Certainly, I surprised myself a few times during the year by putting in great effort to do things I wouldn't imagine myself to be going before. But on a few occasions, I was surprised at how nature turned things out for me - so much so that till today, I couldn't comprehend how I could ever come to possess or accomplish some of the things I have now. Life's a path full of surprises, really.

Well, then I shall quit guesssing what nature has in store for me in 2009 since they are meant to be surprises anyways. Let's guess what will become of the things that I have more direct control over. Yeah, one of them is my results. 2008 gave me some of the sweetest academic dreams of my life, and here's hoping I could continue to do my best and achieve the same kind of results in the last 3 exams of my MDIS life and my graduation project. The other thing that I hope to achive in 2009 is a better body - literally. Well, I am certainly going to fulfill that in NS, if not before NS. So far, results and body are the only things I can think about as they are continuations of what I have achieved in 2008. What new things do 2009 have in store for me? Well, that's anyone's guess.

Another thing I can be sure of in 2009 is the beginning of a new journey. My MDIS life started in November 2007 and it's going to end January 2009. How much would my life change post-MDIS? There will no longer be classes, nor do I get the chance to meet my friend every day anymore. Every journey means a different thing for me. The MDIS journey is one of learning, discovery and joy. What is the post-MDIS journey made of? How will I spend my days waiting for NS? How will my NS life be? How would my life turn out in the next few months? No one knows. It's the mystery of life surprises that make 2008's countdown a really happy affair.

And as 2009 comes, I will - bit by bit - uncover life's little and giant surprises as I travel through the months. At the same time, I will make my own surprises. Together, life's a box of mystery because I don't really have any tangible idea of what 2009 will be like.

2009. What memories would I hold on December 30 2009?

The Prince and the Pauper

2008-12-18T23:55:00.007+08:00

I thought I was the only one. I was wrong. I thought that those who were successful in the past would be successful forever. I was wrong. I thought that those who were failures in the past would be failures forever. I was wrong.

A meeting with a former classmate from secondary school today made me realise it. In the midst of all the catching-up, sharing of joys and just chatting, I realised a very simple fact: Life is never consistent. At some point in every person's life, there is bound to be a turning point - no matter how subtle or drastic it is. You see, we both updated each other on what we know of our former classmates and I realised that some former classmates are doing exceptionally well now (Getting outstanding academic results, having joyful relationships and just enjoying life in their respective schools), while some are going through a very bad patch (Getting poor results, fails inclusive, having no objectives and directions in life, confusion over what they want). I would categorise both the former classmate I met up with and I in the former category as life has really been looking up for both of us.

How things have changed for me. Pauper for the last 7 years, I finally met my turning point at MDIS. Well, from the 1st day in MDIS, my life would change forever. I changed my academic results, personality, social life and physical appearance. I am proud of what I have changed and achieved this year. Once a guy on a steep downward slide towards the abyss, it seems that something divine has bended the curve and provided an equally steep (as in a really great rise) way up for me.

Everyone has a turning point in life. I once thought that I would forever be branded a failure and a loser for life, but little did I know that my downward slope just came earlier than everyone else's. And now, I bear the fruits of delight as I ascend in my life. Some people enjoyed an upward slope earlier, but bump into a downward slope now. I am very glad and relieved that my downward slope has ended since the start of this year and I have already begun to lead a life full of meaning and joys.

Am I really the Prince now? No. Not yet, anyways, though I could think of myself as one who leads the life of a prince right now. I just think that I am missing just one ingredient that could make me truly feel like a prince - to feel happier than happy. It is sweet. And it is loving. A dose of sweetness and another potion of love could certainly make me feel happier than happy.

Unfortunately, I dropped the sugar and spilled the potion of love on the way so I couldn't end this year feeling like a true Prince. Nevertheless, 2008 WILL always be remembered as the turning point of my life - the year that my life changed forever. I love you, 2008.

Btw, I am OH so flattered that everyone thinks I have a girlfriend. Well, my female cousin thought that I have a girlfriend even after I insisted I am currently single. And just today, my former classmate also thought that I have a girlfriend - that is, before I told her I am currently single. If only what they said was true, but no, I am currently single - which SUCKS. Oh, that depends on how you see it. Sometimes, being single has advantages. Now, who is the next person to say, "You have a girlfriend, right?" or to put it in its authentic form: "Ni You Nu Peng You Le, Right?"

GIRLFRIEND!?! Oh my, don't flatter me. Perhaps it's because of how much I have changed since ... ... Thanks for letting me know how much I have changed since, people.

I Just Want to be Happier Than Happy

2008-12-16T17:46:00.002+08:00

Why couldn't I just feel happier than happy? Sometimes, this is all I feel.

In 7 Weeks' Time

2008-12-03T19:38:00.002+08:00

Living is just like flipping a book. There comes a time when you are left with only a few pages to read and after the last page, there're only these 2 words: The End. And you know that another phase of your life has ended - memories of it sealed up in a time capsule and suspended in the realms of your mind forever - the memories it contains often recalled from time to time.

It's the time again where another time capsule is about to be sealed forever. And on that time capsule reads: MDIS. It wasn't too long ago that I began life in MDIS - in November 2007, to be exact. A mere 1 year and 3 months later, it is ending. Some beautiful memories it brought me, but it's all going to be over in 7 weeks from the time of this post.

It should have been over now, or rather, I would prefer it to end now. There doesn't seem to be any more objectives for me to fulfil in this phase of my life. I am attending classes now only to complete the 3 remaining modules and exams - really, there isn't anything more to fulfill. There aren't any more new friends to make nor is there anything to prove anymore. It's a fact of nature: If I am not conversing to the other people I see in the class now, I probably won't be conversing with them during the last 7 weeks. These are the people who I won't be seeing again forever after the 7 weeks are up. But for the people whom I have made friends with, I am glad to say that there are a few good close ones whom I hope to keep in contact with in the future. Surprisingly, there are a few more people whom I would still like to see after MDIS has ended though I aren't as close to them.

There's isn't any more I could prove here in MDIS. I came here to achieve something in life - to achieve something I have not tasted before prior: Academic results. Now that I have achieved that, are there any more objectives to fulfill? I came in thinking that I will just do as good a job as I can and ignore every other aspect of my life - well, just grab the results and go off. But I got more than I asked for - in a good way, of course.

If you have this particular impression of me now, you probably won't change the way you think of me in the last 7 weeks. I know I made a bad impression of myself when I first entered MDIS (perhaps carried over from my negative past), but I have seeked to constantly improve myself ever since and I am glad to say that people's impression of me have changed drastically over the months. If you still have a bad impression of me (for whatever reason), I don't think there's anything to make you change your mind during these 7 weeks. And if you have currently got a good impression of me, then I am happy. That being said, impressions have already been established in this phase of my life. Staying longer in the MDIS phase wouldn't change anything - there's no objective.

Truth be told, these 7 weeks are really just a waiting game. After such a fantastic period in MDIS, I feel that it's really time to move on - to meet new people, people who would appear in my next phase of life and to make new friends. It's time to move on to establish impressions with another new group of people. Being a person who constantly seeks achievements and objectives in life, isn't it time to move on so that there shall be new achievements and objectives to seek?

7 weeks wouldn't change anything. I could be wrong for life is incredibly unpredictable and full of surprises at every corner. I have achieved a lot within this year and phase, both primary objectives and bonus ones (the ones which I never thought would happen, but they did happen). I don't expect anything within these 7 weeks, but it's never wrong to hope for one last bonus thing to happen, right? One last bonus thing that I can take with me to my next phase.

Other than that, it's ripe for this phase to end now - it's ripe for MDIS to end and I will end it happily. 7 weeks aren't very long, you know? What could happen?

Life Is All About Achieving, Isn't It?

2008-11-22T21:57:00.007+08:00

It seems that it has been a long time since my last update, but well, I was just too busy with my exam revision and all, and there didn't seem to be anything monumentally thought-provoking during the past few weeks. Well, too though-provoking enough to be written here.

But a couple of things which happened yesterday sent me into contemplation. You see, someone in my class has just gotten her driving license last week and just yesterday, I was reminded of it after she pulled out a spread of road map and enquired her friends about driving directions. Without doubt, she looked excited to be finally able to drive legally for the 1st time in her life. Well, who wouldn't? If I were her, I would too. In fact, her excitement was so obvious that I noticed it right away.

But that's not the point. Needless to say, I grew considerably envious of her - well, her driving license. Although it's understandable for me not to have a driving license since I just turned 18 and do not exactly have the financial power to pay for my driving lessons, I am still envy of others having a driving license. How great it would be to be able to drive? I want a driving license so badly, so imagine the 'urgh!' feeling within me when I see others, one by one, get theirs (although all of them who do get their driving licenses eventually are bigger than me in age).

Wait, that's still not the point. Getting a driving license, being happy about it and going all gaga over one's first attempt to be able to drive legally on the roads IS an achievement. Each achievement makes a person happy. And after seeing her getting all so excited, it set me thinking: Life is a never-ending spiral of seeking achievements, isn't it? We all want to be happy, but happiness is something that can be, if not soley, derived from achievements, so we (at least me) are constantly fueled by this want for achievement.

There are different types of achievements and I can see everyone seeking some kind of achievement. One person in my class seeks a desirable body by cosistently going to the gym to build up muscles, another seeks an achievement in music, while a handful seek an achievement in academic results. I, too, have a couple of achievements in my hands, but as always, I am never happy with my current achievements and the want to be happy constantly drive me to seek my next achievement. Achievement isn't only about being happy, it's also about being able to showcase to others, to tell others, "Hey, I have this!" And trust me, that feeling is GREAT. Some achievements are intangible, while some are tangible, and I especially like the later.

A statement made by my friend yesterday also provoked a great amount of thoughts in me. He said that there's not really any talent involved in being a model and that being a model is easy. I disagree with his statement.

Well, that should come as no surprise as I seek to be a freelance model. But more importantly, I feel that there's talent involved in being a model - it's just that the talent is an in-born one. What's the talent involved in being a model then? It's the looks; to be a model, you must be handsome or pretty and people must like how you look. To put it simply, you must look good. And that's no easy task as being able to look good and stand out from the crowd, to look better than others is no mean feat. I salute those who are models as they really have what it takes to be one.

I, for one, literally put aside a chance to be a model when an opportunity came a knocking on the door in August. All that was needed was an interview and some photoshoots and wala! I would be on my way. But there's a reason for putting down the chance because I didn't think I was good enough to compete with the many other models out there. I have seen other male models before in advertisements and magazine features and they are REALLY stunning. Oh, how is it possible for me to be one? It was a reluctant choice as I do really want to become a freelance model (one of my 3 ambitions), but I just needed time to make myself look better so that I can have more confidence in myself.

And now, after some work on my body, my goal of striving towards that 'more desirable body' is all the more possible. Call it wanting a more sexually desirable body or whatever, but having that would definitely make me feel really good - and hey, it's a tangible achievement as well - one that can be showcased. Admittably, I didn't have this goal when I began the year; it's only during the 2nd quarter of the year that I decided I WANT TO LOOK GOOD.

But looking good is difficult. It includes not only having a desirable hairstyle to match a desirably flawless face, but also having a desirable body - a hot bod, if you would call it. I want to constantly improve on my hairstyle and face, but the body's so difficult to improve as it requires a lot of effort to scuplt it into something desirable. And now, after the work on my body, it has made my task, or rather, my goal of having a more desirable body a whole lot easier. Now is the time I shall start to seek a new achievement: To have a desirable body and have it complement the hairstyle and face, driving me towards the goal of being a freelance model. I mean, the chance is already there, the doors are already opened for me to be a model - all I need to do is to make myself better before entering the door!

I shall leave that achievement (yea! To look better overall) to 2009 so that there's enough time to scuplt a more desirable body (gym!). In fact, thinking back, I have invested ENORMOUS amounts of time and money into this driving myself towards this achievement this year. I have put in lots of time going to the gym (the natural method), and I have even taken the artificial method (pills) as well - it's literally doing it from all fronts. And I expect these methods to pay off sometime - well, they MUST, don't they?

When I became qualified to be a lifeguard in 2005, it was an achievement. When I received my diploma certificate earlier this year complete with a impressive list of results (how could have I ever imagine this at the start of the year!), it was an achievement. When I have dropped 12kg since the start of the year, it was an achievement. When my life changed 360 degrees this year to become a more sociable one (and to have really good and nice friends), it was an achievement. When I experienced the sweet feeling of love for the 1st time this year, it was an achievement (though I would consider it minor since it didn't really affect my life in 2008 much). And there goes 2008 in a few weeks' time.

In 2009, I would continue the unfinished works of 2008 - that is, seeking my next achievement: to have a better overall look and be finally confident that I can be a freelance model! At the same time, I hope to achieve the same kind of results I had in Diploma in Advanced Diploma. After which, I would find new achievements to seek - the achievements of 2009. All achievements require effort and I am willing to put in effort to seek those achievements because achievements make me happy and there's a sense of satisfication. More importantly, life is a never-ending spiral of seeking achievements - to have achievements so that no one will look down on you, so that you will have something desirable, something unique that others don't. I personally am the competitive kind of person, so I would always like to better others if it is in my capability to do so.

Life is all about achieveing, isn't it?

Step of Sky

2008-10-22T20:55:00.005+08:00

Miles of extension
The desolate moorland
A gleaming bright green

But only
For no birds are there
Not even an interesting stalk of flower

Rustle of grasses beneath as I stroll
Feeling good as always
But never perfect

Paroxysms of tension
I experience
As it all turns over

A step of sky
The desolate moorland
Now above

It’s real I know
It’s perfect I know
Belief I hold
A step of sky, always

But what if
It all turns back
To touch the desolate moorland my steps would
To soar beyond my reach the sky would
Perfectness I would not have
But feel good I still would

Mind I wouldn’t
A step of sky, always
Perfectness is omnipotent

One day
My heart may pull
And my tears may water the plants
Because I love a step of sky
__________________________________________________________

What this poem means:
We all love to be optimistic, don't we? I love to be optimistic. Yes, I do. Although I feel good about who I am and what I have right now, there's never a sense of perfectness. I love this sense of perfectness and that's why I tend to expect things - very good or sweet things, perfect things, of course. I know I shouldn't even be thinking this way: to expect the perfect to happen, but I just can't help it - getting that feeling of perfectness feels so great! Because of this, there were and are times when I would expereice a heartbreak or extreme sadness when things that I expect do not happen.

I am a person who always expect things. But I have to pay a price for that - that my heart may pull and that my tears may drop anytime. I just don't know when. But of course, if my expectations are reached, I would be one of the happiest persons. I have experienced times when my expectations were not reached and the feeling was horrible, but I have experienced times when my expectation were reached and the feeling was out of this world - yeah, I just kept on smiling and smiling and smiling.

I have 3 expectations/wishes left for this year. Yes, I want a step of sky. I would love these expectations to come true. Let's just hope I would be smiling by the end of the year. Please.
__________________________________________________________

101 Stupid Things - Music

2008-10-12T17:00:00.003+08:00

The list of dumb things that happen is never-ending.

SINGING IN PUBLIC PLACES
I would be glad if these people could just keep their mouth shut - because they are such nuisances! From the China woman singing some old-school Chinese song loudly in the bus to the Filipino maid belting out 'Big Girls Don't Cry' - you name it, Singapore has it. Alright, I have to admit: They sing brillantly, BUT HELLO! I am trying to catch a wink in the bus and I am talking to someone on the phone! If you would like to sing, people, do it in your room, do it in your bathroom, and if you're really capable, sign up for one of those singing competitions and do it on TV, BUT just don't do it on the bus, on the MRT, in the MRT Station, or in the food centre!

WHAT!?! THIS IS A SONG?
New singers are coming in by the handfuls - so much so that the music industry is SUFFERING. Nowadays, there seems to be more piles of shit that are trying to intrude into my ears than melodies that I invite. But what's worrying is that some of these crappy music come from old-timers.

DUMB MUSIC TYPE 1: WHY IS IT THE SAME RHYTHM OVER AND OVER AGAIN!?!

Beautiful Future (Primal Scream)http://www.imeem.com/nightcap/music/32rAwVS9/primal_scream_beautiful_future/

How We Roll (Plushgun)
http://www.imeem.com/people/SLF0FIx/music/BsgE4DTu/plushgun_how_we_roll/

Valentine's Day (Linkin Park)
http://www.imeem.com/people/1YC6fq/video/UGWm_xGW/linkin_park_valentines_day_music_video/

I want to listen to real music, not a broken down radio replaying the same tunes over and over again! Sure, these songs are good - but only in the beginning. After a while, these songs start to wear off and they become really boring. Good for 1 or 2 listens, but I bet you wouldn't be interested the 3rd time around because the tunes are just too predictable.

DUMB MUSIC TYPE 2: PLAIN ANNOYANCE

Umbrella (Rihanna)
http://www.imeem.com/rihanna/video/O5s00UOD/umbrella_feat_jayz_music_video/

Abracadavers (The Classic Crime)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDP6qHFKChc

A cacophony of sounds, I would say. What!?! This is music!?! Oh right, senseless rapping that has an unappealing tune and retarded shouting. Barely have I settled down before these irritating raps and bouts of annoying screams come at me - hey, these singers really sound like drunk, uncouth teenagers venting frustrations in the backalley!

101 Stupid Things

2008-10-10T19:53:00.002+08:00

There are just some things in the world that are so stupid. But what's worse than that? You can't do anything about it! I shall share some of the stupid things that have the power to induce hair-tearing.

WAITING FOR THE BUS
Sometimes, the bus arrives quickly. But sometimes, the bus arrives late - very late. Just today, I missed a bus because the merciless morning traffic prevented me from crossing over to the bus stop. Guess what? The next bus only arrived a full 24 minutes later - more than enough to deprive me of my chance to have my breakfast before attending classes. Wait, didn't the news inform us that SBS Transit would cut down the frequencies of all bus services to less than 10 minutes (or 15; whatever because I can't recall the exact time) during morning peak hours? And that SBS Transit would be fined by the LTA if commuters waited more than that amount of time for a bus? Well, pile of crap.

I HATE WAITING. Waiting 24 minutes for a bus is just ridiculous. And speaking of waiting, why is SBS Transit's IRIS service only available to Singtel users? I am a M1 user and I too want to know when the next bus is going to arrive. If I had known that the next bus would be arriving in 24 minutes, I would have walked to another bus stop and taken alternative bus services. SHIT! Waiting 24 minutes for a bus is PLAIN RIDICULOUS!

WAITINNG FOR THE TRAIN
Alright, I should clarify myself now. I do have any problems with SMRT Trains, but I do have a problem with SBS Transit trains (yeah, those on the North-East Line). WHY DO I HAVE TO WAIT 6 MINUTES FOR A TRAIN DURING MORNING PEAK HOURS!?! This is retarded. On a sidenote, I would like to point out that if you transfer at Outram Park or Dhoby Ghaut from the East-West Line/North-South Line to the North-East Line, you would have to walk a long distance from one platform to the other. What a waste of time! Or rather, what poor station designs!

ORCHARD ROAD JUNCTIONS
Orchard Road possesses possibly the worst road designs in the world. WHY IS IT THAT THERE IS NO TRAFFIC CROSSING FROM TANGS TO SHAW HOUSE? Instead, I have to take the maze-like tunnels to get to Shaw House from Tangs and what's more, I have to jostle with the tons of slowpokes inside! It's a moronic road design, for sure. And if I do not want to take the tunnel, I would have to walk all the way to Far East Plaza and cross to bridge to the other side. What nonsense!

PLACES TOO CONGESTED
The Orchard Road tunnel is one of those places where you just want to bulldoze through everyone and YES, I do that sometimes. In times when you are hurrying for time because you're almost late, the slowpokes inside definitely frustrate me. The many 'performers' inside the tunnel only serve to exacerbate human traffic on the already narrow walkway.

SMOKING IN THE LIFT
DO SOME PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTAND THE NO SMOKING SIGN IN THE LIFT!?! These inconsiderate assholes have proved to be an annoyance. And I am left to smell that stinky shit from the cigarettes.

That's it for now. If I encounter more stupid things, I will certainly post them here.

The Night in Bed

2008-10-04T10:51:00.007+08:00

The night in bed can mean many things to me. On a lighter note, the night in bed is the time when all the junk in my stomach gets digested and I drop the 1kg that I put on in the day guzzling food down. The night in bed is also the time when I drift off to dreamland with the help of the music playing from my MP3 player. Or I could be playing with my PSP till 2am in the morning before dozing off.

On a heavier note, the night in bed is the time when I contemplate about the day's happenings. Positive events (like events that are REALLY positive) could either set me smiling in my sleep or keep me awake all night and morning because I am just too happy and too hyped up for the next day to sleep. Negative events provoke deep thoughts inside me. And when there is neither something extremely positive nor negative, I tend to predict what will happen the next day (or perhaps what I would like to do the next day). You see, my mind is just like a computer processor: Zillion bits of information gathered from the day's happenings pass through my mind every night. Hey, what you call that? Yeah, reflecting on what has happened within that 1 day.

That is not to mention that I usually think of my introduction for my many game and movie reviews in my sleep! And the general structure (what I am going to write) for each article.

My night in bed is one complicated night indeed.

Busy Weeks

2008-10-02T21:20:00.008+08:00

Whoa, it has been a little more than 2 weeks since the last post. Well, suffice to say that I have been really busy with my assignments - but alas, all the assignments have been handed in! And now, I have a little more than 1 month till the semester 1 examinations so I shall relax and enjoy while I can.

The past few days haven't been that nice to me what with assignment questions that were unexpectedly difficult. For the first time, I found myself procrastinating till a day before I was supposed to hand in the assignments - and as I typed on my keyboard, I could really feel the pressure - how horrible that was!

For the Public Relations module, the question was: Why I Have What It Takes to Have a Successful Career in PR. OH COME ON! I really don't give a damn about PR - because I hate it! PR is just SO complicated - it involves advertising, it involves marketing and what not - and I had and have a hard time figuring out WTH PR really IS! So imagine my horror when I have to write an essay with regards to the aforementioned. THIS IS BULLSHIT! I did manage to write some credible stuffs out afterall so it was quite a relief. BUT I really have no idea whether my essay is going to net me the marks I want or not. Let's just keep my fingers crossed.

For the Journalism Skills module, there were 5 questions to choose from - and all questions were laced with political materials save for question 2. OMG, I am I never going to survive this, I thought. I suck at politics writing - not because I can't write - but because I don't give a damn about politics as well and when presented with such questions, I didn't really have any idea on what to write - or even how to start, for that matter. So yeah, I did question 2, and I thought I did pretty good. Well, that was a close shave.

Assignments kept me busy. Yes, they did, but some great things also happened during my hiatus from this blog - things that kept me 'busy'. Well, busy in a good way because class was turning out to be interesting afterall (and when I say that, I don't mean the lecturers, but the new students). Open up some of the new students did and I realised that some of them are quite friendly. Not only are some of these new students friendly, but also easy to talk to because they just seem to 'click' so well with my friends and I.

At the same time, there was also a surprising turn of events that (while surprising) I TOTALLY did not see coming. You know what? I HAVE ACTUALLY STARTED TO LOVE GOING TO SCHOOL AGAIN!

Facebook: The Flaw

2008-09-15T19:55:00.006+08:00

I didn't join Facebook until a few months ago - for reasons that I couldn't even identify myself. Prior to joining Facebook, I was exclusively on Friendster, but after months with Facebook, I found myself wanting to close my Friendster account - or do I really want to do that?

I apologise for the said statement. I don't want to neglect my Friendster account - not now - not yet. The thing is: As much as how Facebook is a great social networking tool today, and how it is so much better than Friendster as far as functionality is concerned, there remains some flaws in Facebook that make me want to storm the Facebook office and slap the developers of the application.

Beyond a shadown of doubt, Facebook is better than Friendster. There's a ton of applications, both first-party and third-party created, to toy around with (though 75% of them are RETARDED) when you are bored. And on last count, there are more groups created on Facebook than on Friendster, with the former having some really funky ones like "I Love Milo" and "I will pay anything for a good bowl of Laksa" to boot.

What's more enticing about Facebook, perhaps, is the all-interesting status updates, which allow you to see what your friends are doing at the moment, though not literally. And if they happen to be logged in onto Facebook at the same time as you, you can initiate an online chat with them (though that task is better serviced with Windows Live Messenger). All updates by your friends, be it new photos, comments, or profile changes would also be displayed on your Facebook homepage upon logging in.

But here comes the part where Facebook fails miserably. For one, the photo upload service SUCKS like piles of bull's vomit. You wouldn't be wrong to guess that I am utterly frustrated by Facebook's horrendous photo upload mechanics. Facebook takes a REALLY long time to upload photos and even fails to upload them successfully during some instances. That being said, you would be better advised to upload your photos one at a time onto Facebook rather than sending in a batch of more than 5 photos at any one time as it would only cause Facebook to freeze more often than not. THAT'S IT: Facebook's photo upload system is SHIT and that's probably the reason why you can only see 3 self-uploaded photos on my Facebook. I hate to upload photos on Facebook because it's so tedious - and need I remind you that the user interface is clunky.

My Friendster account still exists - thanks to its intuitive and friendly photo upload mechanics. It would be my wish to marry Friendster's photo upload services with the sheer functionality of Facebook - that'd be my idea of a perfect social networking tool. Until then, I would still keep my Friendster account running.

The Apple is a Question (Part 1)

2008-09-13T16:11:00.006+08:00

Since the iPhone launched last month, I have been seeing several people using the device. On one hand, I would like to buy the iPhone because it has that really impressive touch technology, which I believe increases the simplicity and convenience of navigating around the phone menus. I have also recently discovered that the iPhone is in fact a very competent handheld gaming platform, something that excites me to no end considering that I am most passionate about gaming. When drawn into comparison with other mobilephones, the iPhone is fields ahead of the competition as far as videogames are concerned. You only need to look at the screenshot below for an instant verification of the power contained under the hood of the iPhone.

On the other hand, I aren't that willing to buy the iPhone because transferring songs to it may be relatively troublesome. With a brand and product that prides itself on its user friendliness, I find it contradictory that Apple has something known as the iTunes. I have not owned any iPod before, but from what I have heard from others who have either the iPod or the iPhone, one needs to import songs into iTunes first before one is able to transfer songs into the iPod or iPhone. Why would I want to do that if I can use another MP3 player and merely drag and drop my songs without fuss? The later is more convenient and saves time as well.

Perhaps the biggest factor deterring me from buying an iPhone is its price. Apple is notorious for overpricing its products and the iPhone is no different. Currently, the only legal seller of the iPhone is Singtel and oops, it doesn't sell the phone without a contract. So, if I want to get the iPhone, I would have to either buy it from someone else or make a trip to Sim Lim Square and get myself a hacked iPhone, both of which would cost me a ruinous price that starts from $1000. Where can I get the money?

In a nutshell, buying an iPhone is still out of the question, due largely to its jaw-dropping price. And I wonder when Apple will actually introduce drag and drop functionality for song transferring.

Thus far, I have provided indications that the iPhone is still a 'puchasable' product, but what of the iPod? Well, I have to say that I won't be considering an iPod anytime soon. One of the primary reasons why I won't consider an iPod is its design (save for the iPod Touch, which looks almost exactly like the iPhone). I hate the fact that the iPod's design has stayed stagnant for god-know-how-many-years. Well, if it's beautiful, why change it, you may ask. Well, I have to say that no, I dislike the design of the iPod. And I seriously pissed off by Apple for refusing time and time AND TIME AGAIN to provide additional designs options for people like me, people who just don't dig the current scroll-wheel-cum-simplicity design of the iPod. Why would Apple even call new iPods redesigns when I AM STILL SEEING THE SAME DAMN DESIGN FOR A DECADE!

The other primary reason why I wouldn't consider an iPod is because it's not appropiately priced. But what's more insulting is how Apple parades out a new iPod 'redesign' (or a new-gen iPod) in less than a year! Let's just say I put my money on a particular iPod today and months later, Apple would be unveiling another iPod. What's the point of buying a product when months later, a new model is going to arrive at the same DAMN price, AND with better features! WHAT'S THE POINT!

The last reason why I wouldn't consider getting an iPod is because of the already-mentioned trouble of song-transferring to the device. Abolish iTunes, DAMMIT! Transferring songs to an iPod is simply slower and less convenient than other MP3 players - something I wouldn't want given the SKY-HIGH PRICE I must pay for an iPod.

Stay tuned as I touch on more on Apple products soon.

M18

2008-09-12T22:32:00.003+08:00

The day I have been looking forward to all year has finally arrived and am I glad. Being 18 could mean a lot of things: I can now buy a cigarette (but I won't be), I can now put legal bets on football, I can now buy liquor, I can start to learn driving, I can gain admission to some clubs, I can watch a M18 movie, and I can buy an M18 game (though I have bought a M18 videogame months before my birthday). But it could also mean that my time to serve the nation is nearing and it is - only 9 months away, to be exact. I am looking forward to it - but only because I want to get it over with as soon as possible.

This year's birthday was indeed one of my best birthdays in my life. It's the first time where I could at least be proud of myself and say that I have achieved something VERY significant in life rather than wallowing in self-pity. Coincidentally, I went down to school today to collect my diploma certificate and I was certainly happy to get an A for my graduation project, adding to the 6As and 2Bs I already have.

This year's birthday was also special because it's the first time where I have people outside of my next-of-kins celebrating it with me and I feel really joyful. Thank you, my friends. Having said that, I would also like to thank everyone who have wished me happy birthdays and given me presents.

Eat More or Eat Less?

2008-09-02T20:21:00.005+08:00

The days of regular fast food meals and potato chip feasts are over. And so are the days of guzzling down bowls of Laksa, packets of Roti Prata and Nasi Lemak and sticks of finger food like sausages, fish fingers and chicken nuggets. I do give myself a treat once in a while, but I would be happy to do without breakfast and dinner (or lunch and dinner at times) for most days. While the former has been acknowledged to be the most important meal of the day, I seriously beg to differ - that's just an overused adage, isn't it? The moment I take in more food (calories) than needed for the day, the weight's just going to pile on - that's why a proper meal per day's enough.

How I really envy those people with high metabolism rates - people who do not put on weight even if they have consumed quite a deal of what I call 'weighty food' like chicken chop, pizza and the like. Unfortunately, I do not belong to this category of people - which means 'weighty food' does a considerable amount of 'damage' to me. In other words, I have to forgo some of my most favourite foods and that include snacks (I have a sweet tooth too!). Well, I don't use to care what I eat in the past, much less watching my weight - so that's certainly isn't a problem then. But it IS now.

Earlier this year, I went to the gym daily for 3 months and my weight went down by a respectable 7kg. Still unhappy with my current body, I decided to begin round 2 of this 'torture' a little over a week ago. I accomplished my aim of shedding weight the last time around, but needless to say, that isn't quite enough - not for me, anyways. YES, I still do want to shed more weight - to underweight, perhaps? But no worries - for my version of underweight is in accordance with increased fitness. BUT at the same time, I want round 2 of this 'torture' to have a 'bonus effect', which is the building of some muscles.

Here comes the problem. Eating more helps me build muscles more easily and faster, BUT if the the workout isn't enough to complement the aim of building muscles, the extra food (proteins) will be converted to fats instead. Now, I am apprehensive of that. On the other hand, if I continue my dieting, I will have more control over my weight and I can shed weight more easily and rapidly. However, muscles won't be built that easily nor quickly. So what's my choice? Of course, shedding more weight is my bigger priority, BUT I don't want to give up my aim of building muscles. Well, yes, I do want both, so what do I do? Eat More or Eat Less? Rather, I shall just continue with my current diet and and let the weight burn off and let the weight-lifting do the muscl-ing job (don't really mind if it grows slower).

Eat More or Eat Less? Guess it's still Eat Less. Has it all become part of image (or confidence) building? Well, Eating Less makes sure I don't eat unnecessarily too! Now, that's the cardinal rule for being healthy anyways, isn't it?

New Meets the Horizon's Tip

2008-08-29T21:07:00.008+08:00

It's good ol' Friday and the 8th lesson of my new semester of classes has ended. The situation seems to have improved from last Friday, which the 3rd lesson was on. More students are starting to become more opened to interaction and while I still haven't got a chance to interact with some, I noticed that those same students have initiated conversations with each other. Well, that's good. I have met all the 3 lecturers, and while 2 of them conduct really boring classes, the last lecturer to be introduced teaches in a rather interesting way. It's this lecturer who made me realise that YES, sch HAS indeed restarted and that the holidays are REALLY over. To put it alternatively, she put me back into the mood for studying.

Yes, as stated in the prior paragraph, things have indeed turned for the better - at least a little, BUT I still can't get over the fact that this new class doesn't have that many cute (or friendly, whichever applicable) girls. The difference is ESPECIALLY STARK when this new class is put into comparison with my former Diploma class, which has quite a handful of cute singles to smile at. Well, now? Pretty dismal, to say the least.

Anyways, I have set a target of December for myself to build a better body and some muscles. In other words, YES, I do want myself to be HOT (but I should just shut my mouth up until I have achieved some respectable results. I am looking happily at that lump of muscle now and I hope that it becomes BIGGER in time). I don't know about you all, but looking better is a way of making myself gain more confidence; vanity drives me to be prouder of myself and hence, possess more confidence. I have been infected with the Veronica-syndrome (for those of you who know, anyways), perhaps. But that's all good.

Anyways, YES, the students are getting more opened by the day. Hopefully, this all points to classes getting MORE enjoyable. But it's STILL NOT THAT ENJOYABLE NOW. Well, I should be glad that I am back into studying mood, anyways - CHEERS! Have I met the horizon's tip? Let the sun rise, please. Until then, goodbye!

The Blue Gramophone

2008-08-22T18:43:00.010+08:00

Within you
The rhythmic push of little waves
Petite eddies I see
On a fast track
Coming forward
Into my ears

Within you
A medley of tones I feel
Vibrating into me
Not hard, but gentle
Like a angel’s touch
Into my ears

Within you
I hear my life
Images, none there is
But no matter
For the sound blankets my eyes
My eyes shall hear

Over you
The rhythmic push of little waves
Petite eddies I see
On a fast track
Coming forward
Just below my ear

Over you
A thousand other sounds
But all too subtle
I feel you singing
I feel you, the blue gramophone
You are the sound

The blue gramophone
Let me rest on you
Let me feel you replay
Replaying my life

Can I stay here forever
As soothing as it gets
As elegant as it gets
The blue gramophone
__________________________________________________________

What this poem means
There's something I like about swimming. When I pull myself through the waters, there is this soothing melody that never fails to play in my ears - it is the rush of the water against my ears. At times, I would close my eyes and simply feel and hear the rush of the water - and enjoy it. That's when the swimming pool start resembling a gramaphone (hence, the title of this poem) playing an old Beethoven record. It's a fine mix of tunes that's more than enough to inject a good portion of nostalgia into me. What this means is that whenever I swim, I recall and reminisce on a good bit of all the events in my life. The swimming pool is where I hear my life events being rescreend, replayed over again - and yes, dreams do occur - not always, but at times. Call it swim-dreaming if you will. At the poolside, I enjoy the sound of little waves pushing itself against the walls. How soothing, how elegant - what a nice place to doze off (be it in the morning, day, or night). The swimming pool is the blue gramophone.
__________________________________________________________

New Met New, New Continues to Meet the Undiscovered

2008-08-20T21:37:00.010+08:00

And so the new semester of classes has started. Although I have been looking forward to school for as long as I could remember, I must admit that getting used to the new class wasn't as easy as I thought.

I usually wake up at 9am every weekday during the holidays, but having to arise by 7am out of a sudden isn't the best thing I could ask for. As my classes are now being conducted at Dhoby Ghaut rather than the Stirling Road campus, more time has to be spent commuting in the train. What this translates into is so MUCH more jostling with fellow passengers. So while the idea of having classes shifted to the Dhoby Ghaut campus may seem exciting initially, it is actually not. Those are just some of the problems.

Opening my eyes to the new class on Monday, I sighed. Boy, how much I prefer my diploma class! My diploma class was bigger and the atmosphere was better. Now, let this statement be a 'first impression' kind of thing: The new students in this class don't look too interesting. I have a 'muscular guy' persona in my diploma class, but this new class doesn't. I have 'cute girl' personas in my diploma class, but this new class doesn't. Well, not that it doesn't have 'cute girl' personas, it just has less than a handful. How boring! And for a punch-out, the lecturers are so dull as well. But those are just first impressions, and if history is anything to go by, I would make more new friends and learn more about the class soon. I will be sure to knock up some mobile phone numbers and msn addresses soon! Well, have already gotten one.

But perhaps the biggest change I notice is in me. Why am I suddenly observing my sense of fashion so closely? Why am I suddenly dressing up in ways that I don't usually do? But I must say that I like my new hair color - that is, after getting used to it. And with some strategic placement of water and wax, I can create new and various beautiful styles for my hair. I guess the change must be due to my want of being different. I have heard people tell me to BE MYSELF, but I am changing myself, so I am still being myself. Being myself means wanting to constantly change, and constantly improving myself. Making myself look nicer, more presentatable certainly makes me more confident - it makes me feel REALLY good. And when people take notice of my 'presentation', it makes me feel even better. I know this sounds really weird - yes, I am getting increasingly vain - but that's just me.

I remember the days when I was a very ugly duckling - during my poly days. There was one day when a few classmates and I were sitting at a corner in Orchard MRT Station waiting for the rest so that we could proceed to a talk in Orchard library (now closed) - it's compulsory. A scout came forward because she was looking for male models for her model agency and sent 2 of my classmates namecards. Being much fatter then, I had a very obvious double chin and some pimples on my face and really untidy hair. It was demoralizing. But as I hated my life back then (design course in temasek poly sucks!), I didn't have the motivation to create a better look for myself. It wasn't until I arrived at MDIS that my life changed for the better - better grades and the kicking of my anti-social ways - and I started taking notice of my looks.

I have arrived at this stage where I want to look my best. I no longer have a double chin after the 3 months spent earlier this year at the gym and I am always trying to maintain a face that is as flawless as possible (note: only as flawless as possible; it's not perfect). New clothes and new hairstyles are in. Facial cream is in. But no exercises to build a better me? No, wait, I will return to the gym for regular sessions later this year. I was a VERY ugly duckling in the past. And I would never want to be an ugly duckling again - it makes you miserable, it robs you of your confidence.

And now I stand at where I am now, always continuing to discover the undiscovered. I don't know what the future holds for me, but I will uncover it bit by bit, only bounded by the webs of time. Boy, this post is increasingly showing the very emo side of me!

But anyway, I only hope for interesting things for my new class and as always, I will constantly experiment and change myself. Here's signing off before I get too emo.

Note: I could use a poem to do this post, but I thought that wouldn't be enough to express my utmost feelings.

Recalling the Holidays

2008-08-09T20:13:00.004+08:00

There's just 1 week left to the new semester of classes and I can barely wait! Now, how many time have I said that? There are only a couple of things that I did during this holidays, but let's recount them anyway.

Work
I didn't start working right after my holiday began but instead, waited 2 weeks before I went to the recruitment agency. If you can recall from my previous posts, my first position was at a company that imports and exports products from brands like Picard, Shilton and FX Creations. The job was extremely boring. And when I finally completed my contract, I was glad. But had no idea that my next job would be worse. The proceeding job landed me in SAF Sungei Gedong camp, but I was working for ST (Singapore Technologies) rather than Mindef. This job WAS a nightmare. It was not tough or anything - just that there was virtually nothing to do on the job. I remembered the days where I would ensconce myself in the armchair and stare at clock until I was dismissed. Months of bullshit for a few hundred dollars that aren't even enough for me.

Walking the Streets
When I say walking the streets, I don't mean it in a literal way. What this means is hanging out with friends or just window shopping (serious shopping at times). I engaged in quite a number of sports activities throughout the holidays, but unfortunately, there were limited to either cycling or swimming. They aren't the most exciting sports, but I had nothing better to do, hadn't I? It didn't seem so bad as big portions of the time was spent chatting with friends while engaged in the activities at the same time. Moreover, there were always post-activities window shopping, so all's good.

Walking the Streets - Alone
When the time calls for serious shopping, I usually do it alone. But that happened only twice during this holidays. I shopped for and bought my PSP alone and just this week, I shopped for new clothes as well.

Watching Movies
Yeah, the cinema is the best place to fall back on if all else fails. Singapore is SO SO DAMN SMALL, that you NEED the cinemas here. I have caught a couple of films in the cinemas, including The Incredible Hulk, The Dark Knight, Money No Enough 2, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and The Love Guru. I still want to catch Mad About English and Journey to the Center of the Earth before classes retsart, though.

Watching Videos and Staring Into Space at Home (Post-work)
If I am lucky, there would be some videos to watch. But more often than not, I found myself staring into space. AW! IT SUCKS! Of course, all these only occured after I stopped working. I use to think that working would help me kill time, but after experiencing the nightmare that was working, I'd say I prefer slacking at home to working, though the former actually wastes quite a lot of time.

Playing Games
I spent a portion of this holidays playing some games. But unfortunately, the list of good games to play ran out before school restarts on August 18 - so I AM LEFT WITH NOTHING TO PLAY NOW! Nah, still no good games to play. It seems I won't be playing any game anytime soon on my Xbox 360.

Writing
I spend about 3 hours a day writing game and movie reviews and all these articles ultimately end up on my other blog (Powerplay Blog). Okay, I lied. Not every day, but days when I didn't go out. I feel a huge sense of satisfication and accomplishment whenever I post an article because ... ... I just love writing. And being able to share my opinions with other like-minded people is my best reward.

That's it, folks. Check back soon for my next post. Sorry about this rushed post because I would like to try my new DS game. Now, will you please excuse me.

Movie Review: The Love Guru

2008-08-08T19:23:00.003+08:00

You are one click away from The Love Guru review.

The Love Guru

Rating: 2.5/5

More Movie Reviews!

2008-08-04T21:29:00.008+08:00

Here are 2 more movie reviews to wet your appetite! Head over to my other blog (Powerplay Blog) for future movie reviews.

Batman: Gotham Knight

Rating: 3.5/5

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Rating: 1.5/5

Movie Review: Money No Enough 2

2008-07-31T15:34:00.012+08:00

RATING: 3.5/5

This is quite possibly the first time that we have a pair of Jack Neo directed films making their way to the big screens - both in the same year, entirely shattering his modus operandi of only releasing a film during the first day of the Lunar New Year festival for the past few years. There could be 4 reasons for this:

1) Money No Enough 2 serves as a compensation for movie-goers like me who wasted their money on the utter nonsense that is Ah Long Pte Ltd released on the first day of this year's Lunar New Year festival.

2) Jack Neo wasn't able to contain his passion in movie-making till 2009.

3) With food, petrol and ERP rates rising, Jack Neo felt that he needed more money, so what better way to gain more by making another movie and using it to bring in more income?

4) Money No Enough 2 serves as a replacement for next year's film - which means that wouldn't be a Jack Neo directed movie next Lunar New Year.

Whatever the reason was and is, I must say that Money No Enough 2 is quite a good watch. While it isn't as good as its predecessor, Money No Enough 2 is certainly better than Ah Long Pte Ltd - the entire movie is generally more logical and engaging, the plot and acting sequences, more realistic, and the humour, less dumb.

Alright, let's get the facts right first: Money No Enough 2 isn't a comedy - though it has some humour scattered throughout, this film is essentially a little-less-than-typical Channel 8 drama - all compressed into 2 hours of cinema experience. That isn't necessarily a bad choice, as Jack Neo seems to be running out of creative and inspiring ideas for jokes if his comedy films in recent years are anything to go by - and making another comedy film would just serve to exacerbate matters. Instead, what Jack Neo has here is a plot revolving around the much-discussed Singaporean topic of filial piety - and that plot is so solid that it ends up rather impressive. There are several unpredictable (and unfortunate) twists and turns in the plot towards the end and it all makes for a very interesting and nail-biting watch. Plot-wise, this film beats Ah Long Pte Ltd hands down.

And the second fact: Money No Enough 2 isn't so much about money, as everyone would expect it to be, but more on filial piety (as mentioned in the preceeding paragraph). The movie also touches on the sense of responsibility that everyone should have. All in all, I'd prefer the film to stay this way than to venture into the full-featured subject of money and end up falling short - because there is only so much that can be discussed about money.

With these facts out of the way, you should have a more coherent idea of what Money No Enough 2 is. Well, if you are still expecting this to be a comedy film about money, move on - this film's NOT for you. But for everyone else, let's dive deeper together into the film.

I feared for this film the moment it started as the first few minutes are mere fillers that DO NOT tie in at all to the overall storyline. They are more like a horrible reminder of what Ah Long Pte Ltd is like - lame jokes, dumb humour, ridiculous events and ultimately, outright rubbish. I won't reveal to you what the first few minutes of the film are like (no spoilers!) - but I can say this: They are terrible, boring, and stupid, but hold on there, and you will be rewarded with the official start of the story progression after those few agonising minutes.

Even after the official start of the story, there's nothing interesting - it's just your normal Channel 8 drama trash talk. Jack Neo makes use of this first few 30 minutes of the film to crack up some of his signature Hokkien jokes, so it's still bearable. But what Jack Neo is attempting to drive across here becomes more apparent after those 30 minutes - the story begins to accelerate rapidly and the jokes are gradually extinguished in favour of more serious dialogue and acting.

There ARE several instances of Hokkien usage in this film and you MUST understand Hokkien to be really able to capture the essence and feel of this movie. Most, if not all, of the jokes are in hokkien, the musical portions and 40% of the dialogue here is in Hokkien, so go figure it out already. BUT before I proceed, I must stress that the 3 musical portions here are not musicals for the sake of musicals (UNLIKE 881 and Ah Long Pte Ltd) - these Hokkien musical portions are in fact, very moving and meaningful - so strategically placed that they are perfectly in sync with the overall theme, feel and aim of the film.

The film ramps up in intensity towards the end and YOU MUST keep your eyes and ears wide-opened during the last 30 minutes or else your ticket would be wasted. The ending gets my vote for being one of the best in a Jack Neo film and after the sign 'THE END' shows up, the film returns to some good humour to conclude the whole movie.

Overall, this is one of the better Neo movies and one that is worth your time and money. Yes, the original Money No Enough is better, but the predecessor was in a different film genre altogether. So there you go - get your tickets for Money No Enough 2.

(YAY! My first attempt at a movie review!)

New Meets New

2008-07-29T18:02:00.006+08:00

A whole new semester of classes is starting in just 2 weeks' time and while it may extinguish any sign of insouciance, the prospect of getting to meet new people and learn new things has me enshrouded in a pall of excitement. Afterall, I have spent more than enough time enjoying myself during this vacation and things are gradually starting to get boring. I have earned my money doing vacation jobs, I have played my games, I have had more time to hang out with my friends - and I feel that it is time to get right back into education so that life can progress.

I must say that I have enjoyed myself tremendously during my diploma classes. Things turned out in an unexpected, but good way. While some classes were understandably mind-numbing, there were friends to turn to and prattle away during those instances. The time after classes was also spent island-hopping, as I was brought to places I had never gone before - much to my delight. With the new classes being relocated to the campus at Dhoby Ghaut, things could get more interesting - well, quite simply because many of the exciting places in Singapore are located in the campus' periphery.

Perhaps the most anticipated aspect of attending the new semester of classes is not the relocation of classes to the Dhoby Ghaut campus, but sure-chance of getting to meet new people. With an estimated class size of about 30 to 40 people, and with only a little less than 10 of those people being my classmates from my diploma classes, there is indeed quite a number of new people to meet.

New semester, new lecturers, new location, new people, new places to explore, but there's one thing that's still not new - I am still not new. Wait. You don't get what I mean? Alright, let's get straight to the point: I want a new hairstyle, a new hair color, and new clothes. Actually, I wanted a pair of sunglasses too, but the prices of those sunglasses are so atrocious that I screamed, "Forget it!"

Even with 3 aspects of the image to work on, my wallet's already looking out of sorts. The culprit is clothes. Nice clothes cost upwards of $40 - and no, I am not kidding. Oh my, if you are targeting for a below-$40 purchase, you might as well not buy any because all that you are able to get with $40 are those bland nonsense from Giordano and Baleno. Even offerings from OP, Bossini, and John Little feature uninspiring designs. If you are female, you'll have to ignore this because good female garments are way above the price I just quoted. Anyways, you may think that I am a miser - but hey, I am not spending all my money earned from my vacation jobs in one fell swoop.

Before I continue, I'd like to recommend you to look out for Natural Project brand of garments for men - they are nice, at least in my opinion. Okay, back to the point. What I am looking at are clothes from Robinsons, Levi's, Marks and Spencer blah blah blah - you know, those stores which have more upscale clothes for sale. Oh my, it's REALLY not going to be easy for my wallet. BUT I am definitely going to get at least one piece of shirt - well, the kind of shirt is anyone's guess.

So after clothes have been purchased, I'm heading to the saloon. NO MORE budget barber haircuts - they are the least creative people and their haircuts are just plain bad. And when I am at it, why not attempt a little hair dye for the first time? I know natural black hair's going to outgrow the dyed portions eventually - so you are essentially looking at a temporary effect, but hey, I want to try dyed hair for a change!

And so here, I will end. I want almost everything to be NEW. New this, new that, so I want myself to be new. Now, I realise that's the phrase's considerably odd.

Alright, let's cut the crap. When I say that I am interested in meeting new people, part of what I mean is this: There is an outside chance of meeting new (cute) girls in the new semester of classes and I am happy. And SO, I want myself to be new, because remaining the same, remaining the old me just ain't enough. Well, let's get the renovation started!

OH MY! WTH am I staring at! National slavery ... ... er service after advanced diploma ends? CRAP! And that's in June 2009! It can't get any badder.

MRT Survival Kit

2008-07-23T21:19:00.012+08:00

Have you ever wondered how boring a MRT train ride can be (especially when you are travelling alone)? Nope, the screaming kids, the uncouth expletive-sounding teenage boys, and mobilephone music blaster beng don't count as entertainment. So here's introducing my new MRT (and bedtime) survival kit.

My trusty DS (the bulky version instead of the newer lite) has been with me for 2.5 years, and though it has a few scratches here and there plus a chipped-off edge (due to a careless drop in 2007), I like every bit of the most senior member of my MRT survival kit. While the DS does have new bucketloads of crappy games being made for it every month, there are still a few gems.

The 2nd member of my MRT survival kit is my Creative Zen. I decided to include it in my kit because I wanted a dedicated MP3 player - I don't want to listen to music on my mobilephone as it drains the battery quickly and the proprietary earphones are of the most nonsense quality, and neither do I want to listen to music on my PSP as there wouldn't be ample space on the 4GB memory card to store my videos and games. The Creative Zen doubles up as my photo viewer and video player (though I prefer to use my PSP for this function). I just can't go without my Creative Zen because music is a necessity to me - it relaxes me and provides my day-dreaming with the required sound effects!

The newest and last member of my MRT survival kit is my 2 week old PSP Slim and Lite. I bought the PSP Slim and Lite because I wanted to get my hands on more games. The DS just ain't enough. I want a portable that is technically more powerful and with that, comes graphics-intensive games that are very pleasing to my eyes. While the DS certainly has its advantages, the PSP also has its - and those are the ability to play music, view photos and watch videos. I bought it at $250, down from $499 when it first came out in March 2005. Now, I find that a great deal for a gadget that has so many functions!

Of course, this MRT survival kit isn't necessarily restricted to my MRT train rides. Let's just say I am unable to fall asleep one night. That's when my MRT survival kit comes in handy too - it relieves boredom and kills time (FYI: I hate sleeping!). So, there you go: my MRT (and bedtime) survival kit.

Eyes & Smile

2008-07-19T13:26:00.003+08:00

Ensconced in the corner you are
Standing a little distance away you are
A step away you are
No matter where you are

Big eyes you have
Shiny eyes you have
In your eyes
Reflection I see
My eyes I see

I am looking at your eyes
I am looking at my eyes
Together
A nice pattern they make
Eyes together
Isn’t it so wonderful

Ensconced in the corner you are
Standing a little distance away you are
A step away you are
No matter where you are

Wide smile you have
Sweet smile you have
On your smooth lips
Reflection I see
My lips I see

I am looking at your lips
I am looking at my lips
Together
A nice pattern they make
But they aren’t together

I am just waiting
Waiting for the months
Waiting for the years
Where the lips come together
Isn’t it so wonderful

But everything has a start
And they start from your eyes
They start from my eyes
And they start from your smile
They start from my smile
Eyes & Smile always

There will be a time
When the smile changes its name
Changes its name to lips
But that will be another story for another day

Nothing Much to Do in Singapore

2008-07-18T20:36:00.007+08:00

Singapore's the only country in the world where one needs to spend some time in comtemplation before deciding where head to on a lazy afternoon. I have been caught in this 'dilemma' for far too many times, so much so that it has become an increasingly frustrating affair. It's a classic case of been there, done that.

Let me deliver the facts: Singapore has only one shopping district and that's the area around Orchard and City Hall, or more precisely, the area down south. How many times have I been there? Countless. Would it hurt to add another shopping district here? I'd suggest that one of the rather-undeveloped areas, namely Pasir Ris (surprisingly still a ulu ulu area!), Punggol and Sengkang area be developed into a shopping district. There's nothing worse than passing by the same building, the same road in Orchard for the 3rd time in a week.

Some of you may beg to differ. There's indeed another shopping district at Chinatown (or around Outram Park area), but do you really want to go there? Somehow, the weather's more humid there and the shops there are mostly run-down, selling merchandises that only your grandparents would be interested in. There is no good reason to visit Chinatown unless it's nearing Chinese New Year, but you wouldn't want to jostle with the ridiculous crowd, do you?

Okay, let's just say that you don't want to shop. Instead, you prefer to engage yourself in some activities. Alright, Singapore has a considerable number of attractions: The Singapor Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, Discovery Centre, Science Centre, The DHL Balloon, Downtown East, The Singapore Flyer, Sentosa, but come to think about it, all of them charge atrocious admission prices, if not ticket prices. Even some of the more unique activities like Paintball at Discovery Centre and Go-Karting at Jurong (beside the KFC building) are luxuries not to be engaged in frequently.

Then there is the more viable option of participating in sports: cycling and wakeboarding and East Coast Park. Fun in the water at Jurong West Aquatic Centre, Jurong East Swimming Complex and Choa Chu Kang Swimming Complex (or Wild Wild Wet if you have the money). But I must admit that it gets dull really soon because there is ONLY that much to do.

And lastly, there is the cinema to fall back on should all else fail to materialise. But with increasing prices ($10 being the most expensive ticket price right now), going to the cinemas has become less attractive. Miscellaneous stuffs like playing billards and drinking count as activities too, but the latter doesn't really appeal to me unless in the presence of social company.

As you can see, all in all, there is REALLY nothing much to do in Singapore. Unless you are a drama or anime buff, renting boxests of those shows in truckloads and watching them at home, hard luck trying to find something to do in Singapore. Oh, wait, perhaps if you're a gamer, the effects of Singapore being a small country wouldn't hurt you that much, but then again, playing games for long periods of time can sometimes feel boring.

Now, don't get me started on sub-urban malls like White Sands, Tampines Mall, Tiong Bahru Plaze or IMM. There's nothing. Why do they exist in the first place? For your grocery needs and to provide food, of course. Otherwise, there's nothing. Don't bother wasting your time in the libraries or arcades.

OMG! Can the government please spend some money to develop a second shopping district!

No more vacation jobs, please

2008-07-10T18:20:00.005+08:00

Let's do a count: 3 full days and 1 half day left. Soon, I would be unemployed again - but that's not necessarily a bad thing. For 1.5 months, I have been so short of personal time that I don't really feel like working anymore. Even if I want to work, I would most probably take up odd jobs, or jobs which have shorter hours - perhaps jobs which require me to work only 6 hours a day instead of a dreadful 9 or 9.5 hours.

I do have some plans for the 1 month before classes restart, though. Now, I realise that I have been eating and eating since I started working (FYI: When I feel bored, I eat even if I don't feel hungry. When I don't feel bored, I don't eat even when I feel hungry) and despite not having the courage to step on the weighing board, a little logic tells me that I must have put on some weight. AND so, for the next 1 month, I have decided to free up some time for building up fitness (which means I won't work as much or I won't work at all).

Of course, having more personal time isn't the only reason that is deterring me from working further. The thing is: The job agency that I patronise, Recuit Express, never fails to send Warehous Assistant job positions my way. Well, I did request for non-Warehouse Assistant job offers, but Recruit Express supposedly has none. I am really fed up - DAMN IT! I don't want to be a Warehouse Assistant! I don't want to work with people who have unbearable body odours, I don't want to sweep the faeces of lizards and rats, I don't want to pick up rust, dust and faeces-covered military equipment - because I feel that I don't deserve this kind of job.

You know, I kind of pity the 3rd year NUS student temp worker. Yeah, he does the same job as me too. But it shouldn't be this way.

The hopelessly unhygienic condition of the store isn't the only problem. Well, this job is boring - real boring. And meaningless. Period.

I want to spend my time doing something useful. And I would work only if there are odd jobs or short-hours jobs available. Warehouse Assistant? Screw that!

Vacation Job, July 2008

2008-07-02T19:58:00.017+08:00

(UPDATED July 3 2008 - Refer to below)
A new month calls for a new job!

And my next job takes me to SAF Armour Centre Sungei Gedong camp. I can't point out exactly where the camp is located, but it's somewhere near Lim Chu Kang. If you still don't know where that is, you're excused - well, because it's a very rural area and hardly anyone goes there. Working hours are from 8am to 5:30pm on weekdays and 8am to 12:30pm on Saturdays, the later of which irritates me. But I do have to arrive at Kranji MRT Station by 7:30am daily so that I am able to catch the free transport lest I want to take service 975 from Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange.

Working inside an army barrack has restrictions, and one of which is the banning of phototaking in its permises, so don't expect any photos for posts that concern this vacation job. Overall, it is a relatively nice work environment - although I am working in a GE (general item) store, the job is more about paperwork than moving stuffs (Anyway, the store is air-conditioned, so paperwork suits the job just fine. Really). The job is quite a relaxing one, actually, and moments where I would sit down and talk with the 2 other temporary employees for hours are typical. In fact, this job pays me more than my previous job and requires me to do less. Now, I like this! Time also seems to pass faster at this job (well, when you are talking, time passes really fast! Haha!).

Providing extra money for me to satisfy my bank account isn't the only thing going for me with regards to this job. As the job permits me with the rare opportunity to enter an (REAL) army camp (at least before NS), I am able to have an insight of how the training goes on in NS - the typical screaming bastards are to be expected. Hey, the first thing I heard when I entered the camp was: "I won't tolerate anymore nonsense!". There was also a NS man who came into the store to collect blankets for his recruits, but the problem is: He kept on staring at me fiercely, seemingly wanting to instigate a fight. What an asshole! Yeah, these are the kind of bitches I am going to be seeing in less than a year's time.

Finally, the canteen food, while only limited to 3 stalls, is absolutely great! My hopes of getting free food from the cookhouse vanished as the other temporary worker, who was there before me told me that we weren't permitted to get the free food; it's only reserved for the NS man there. Now, that sucks. Anyway, I am working there for 2 weeks with the option of extension if they still need me. But I hope they don't because I have always been one who likes changes in environments where work is concerned.

Well, it's only the first day of the job. I will provide more juicy details for you readers soon!

(UPDATED)

Alright, it's the 2nd day of my work and the novelty of 'getting paid more for doing less than my previous job' is gradually wearing off. In fact, I find this job quite dull. Out of the 9.5 hours that was spent on the job today, only 1 hour was spent doing real work. From 8am to 12nn, I was plugged into my MP3 player while making myself comfortable in the armchair. The next 1 hour was dedicated to lunch. After lunch at 1pm, I split my time between some paperwork and toying around with my DS (the other employees were playing games too, so it's not just me) till 2:40pm.

Now, here comes the interesting part. At 2:40pm, a guy from DSTA came and I somehow managed to get an invitation to hitch a ride in his car and travel to different areas of the SAF Armour Centre Sungei Gedong camp. I was brought to view the latest Leopard tanks (they are big) that Singapore recently purchased and even got a chance to touch their exterior. Of course, many other SAF vehicles were also seen. Additionally, I was given a view of the latest tank and combat simulators that were bought only a few months ago by SAF. The mini-tour ended at 4pm.

From 4pm to 5pm, I was moving some heavy stuffs around, but that's really nothing compared to the several hours that were quite relaxing. For the next 30 minutes before knocking off from work, I was again playing with my DS. And bam! One work day was gone! Now, while this job certainly has its advantages, I find it pretty dull because for most parts of today, there was nothing to do. Let's see what tomorrow has in store for me.

Vacation Job, June 2008 (IV)

2008-06-28T11:48:00.006+08:00

How time flies, or rather, how time crawls. The last week of my vacation job is finally over and I can barely wait for Monday, the very last day of this job. It has been an excruciatingly boring 4 weeks (that is, when I am on the job) and I have certainly seen my share of the nice and not-so-nice people. The 2nd boss gets my vote for being one of the friendliest persons I have ever encountered, occasionally bringing in snacks for everyone to take delight in and buying lunches for us. His never-fading smile always succeeds in brightening my otherwise monotonous working mood.

On the other hand, the 3rd boss is one of the most unpredictable people I have ever encountered. I met him only in my 2nd week of work because he was overseas during the 1st week, and for that entire 2nd week, he did not even manage to say anything to me even though he was always in the store. The lack of a propitiatory 'Hi' or 'Hello' may have been excusable if he didn't pull a long face everywhere he went - but he did pull a long face everywhere he went so it's not excusable. During my 3rd week, he warmed up to me and began talking, but they were limited to the purpose of assigning me tasks. Now, here comes the unpredictable part: While he did come into the store to help out here and there at times, I hated it when he came in to give us tasks to accomplish with the knowledge that we were going to be knocking off from work in a matter of minutes (Damn! Can't you wait for tomorrow!). That's the 3rd boss for you.

What about the 1st boss? Nah! During my 4 weeks there, she did not even step into the store. I would say that she is a relatively quiet person, rarely communicating with the employees unlike the 2 other bosses. Her eyes look REALLY fierce, so much so that it may delude you into thinking that she may devour you any minute. BUT credits to her for smiling everytime she sees me (unlike the 3rd boss who always pulls a long face).

Now, moving on to the 4 accounts/admin women in the office. One is an amicable auntie, while another is a seemingly-cheerful young lady in her late 20s. What of the remaining 2? One of them is a nasty fat lady. NASTY. Yeah, she is NASTY. I can't understand why there was even a need for her to give me orders rudely (she's not even the one to assign me tasks in the first place). The tone of her voice was inappropiate and the words she used were words that you would use for instigating a fight. She is one person worthy of the word 'Nasty'. Period.

Now, the last women working in the office - the HR manager. Talks nicely, but beneath her external self lies the intent of reprimanding anyone (anyone who works in the store, to be exact) who rests for a minute. Damn! You can't expect me to working every second, can you? She can sit in the office and take breaks from time to time, frequently emitting peals of laughter while I do not have the right to rest for a minute? Nah! I didn't even bother to argue with these 2 ladies because there was no reason why I should. Remember: Monday is my last day! And I would never want to meet them ever again.

Now, to the people working with me in the store: the 2 permanent employees there. One is a very friendly uncle. Okay, good. Now, the other one? UH HUH! Another not-so-nice person. Worthless fool thinks a warehouse job is worth boasting about. He who speaks as if a person who knows how to drill out nails from a shelf is a genius (and he made fun of me just because I refused to do it). He who speaks as if lifting a carton weighing upwards of 25kg is an easy task. Damn fool didn't have the initiative to help out when I was lifting so many of these cartons - all he did was sit on the chair and do nothing. His constant boasts of his efficiency and 'talent' as a warehouse assisstant (including the boast of how he was superior to me in the warehouse) irked me the most. I say: He can boast all he wants and he is going to get nowhere - he is still going to be stuck in that stinky job meant for UNEDUCATED people. I am here because I am on vacation and I am tied by a 1 month contract. Furthermore, I have NS committment. I am still young and I have a future - I don't see a reason for the need to excel as a warehouse assisstant, a vacation job that is nigh meaningful and related to my future, when I would be most probably be working in the media industry.

Alright, there you go - complete evaluations of most of the staff. Some are nice, some are not, but really, that's part and parcel of working. Come Monday, when I leave this vacation job, I will take away with me a new bag, adding to the 2 new wallets already purchased from the company. What will be my next vacation job? I still have no idea. Well, perhaps I won't be working at all, but it all depends on whether I get an offer from somewhere else or not.

Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar

2008-06-22T16:32:00.006+08:00

I had my lunch at this seemingly new restaurant at Raffles City Shopping Centre yesterday (Saturday). Situated quite a distance away from the basement 1 escalators in a rather isolated corner, there is a possibility that regular shoppers may miss it, but its extra large store sign compensates for that. In a somewhat similar fashion to the swiss restaurant Marché located at VivoCity, a card would be issued to each patron upon entrace. When you order food at any of the several food kiosks inside the restaurant, you would have to present the said card and the cost of the food would be charged to the card. After dining, you need to return the card and pay the amount charged to it at the exit. For sure, that is a unique way of ordering and paying for food, but there's more to Shokudo. In fact, I would say that the variety of food offered there is wider as opposed to Marché's. The name of the restaurant is misleading, to say the least. Besides Japanese food, there are also other cuisines on offer, including Italian, Western and Chinese among others. That makes Shokudo the go-to place for birthday celebrations, family dinners and friend outings because there's just something for everyone.

However, the quality of food is not consistent. Some dishes are really fantastic, while some are mediocre. I had the infortune of trying out an item that falls into the later category: a Chicken Burger (picture) with a cold grilled chicken piece and egg slapped between melted cheese, lettuce and tomatos, redolent of the typical 'cooked-earlier-and-left-there-for-a-few-hours' dishes that you get from your ubiquitous mixed vegetable rice stall. Considering that the burger, which came together with fries, costs $6.80, the aforementioned is a sin. I also did try the mushroom soup, which tasted pretty decent, but no as good as I'd expect.

More noteworthy, however, is the flatbed version (think lasagna) of Tako Parco's tako-yaki (Japanese octopus balls) - you know, the ones where you can get for $2 for 3 balls at Pasar Malams. Now, that IS good. Its filling of chicken ham and cheese is a perfect combination - all these, served pipping hot unlike the Chicken Burger.

Also tried was a stirred-fried mushroom dish, but that tasted average. My friends ordered some other items like wanton and Japanese omelette rice, but I didn't try them out. To down all the food, I bought a Japanese Mocha. Surprisingly, it's green and before you say another word of 'Mocha', I would like to suggest that you forget that word - because this is not the Mocha you know. The drink tasted a tad salty and there is a distinct 'powdery' feel in it (much like undisolved milk solids or the topping of milo powder you get in your milo dinosaur). Overall, the tangy drink tasted considerably odd, but I kind of like it.

Of course, there are still a whole lot of other food items that I have not eaten, but I will make sure that I try them out on my next visit (yes, there will be a 2nd visit). Is it better than Marché? Yes, it is. It has wider food variety and the prices are generally more competitive than Marché's. This eatery is highly recommended. Thumbs up for it!

Vacation Job, June 2008 (III)

2008-06-21T10:39:00.005+08:00

Wah! Over 500 bags to pack (some not pictured here)!

Viola! I have finally completed the 3rd week of my vacation job and can barely wait for my last week of work to start and end. Alright, so how's this week? I would say more of the same - which means more scanning of products and rushing to fulfill orders, but at the same time, there were some variations. Take, for instance, yesterday, when I needed to pack over 500 bags. You see, the company flew in 2 Indian nationals on Wednesday - specifically to spray some weird chemicals on approximately 1000 Jane Shilton leather bags so that their colours wouldn't fade. Well, you know, the spray's supposed to protect the bags. And after spraying on those bags, they needed to allow some time for the bags to absorb the chemicals and so, the bags were left hanging overnight. I had to unhook the bags from the shelves and pack them into plastics the next day. One of the permanent employees packed the bags that were sprayed on Wednesday on Thursday, but since he was absent yesterday (Friday), I had to take over his duties (meaning I must pack the bags that were sprayed on Thursday). Oh, well yeah, the task was nothing short of humdrum.

Was that it? Well, nope. On Wednesday, I had to untie some paper bags from melted rubber bands and pack them into new plastic bags. Alright, alright, that was all this week could offer - more of the same with some variations. I took a day off on Tuesday to submit my graduation project (which I did manage to accomplish over the last weekened) and to do some PSP price hunting. Not working felt quite good. However, I did have to clock some overtime hours on Wednesday and Thursday. By the way, my half-month pay (the company, or rather Recruit Express, the agent, issues pay every 2 weeks) still hasn't arrive after 5 working days. Omg, this just proves how inefficient and stingy these pay witholding jerks (yeah, you heard it right, Recruit Express is a pay witholding jerk) are.

Nothing interesting in this post? Well, because there's nothing interesting this week on the job. Period. And sorry folks for the lack of any mid-week update because I am currently engaged in Ninja Gaiden 2. Check back next week for the review of the last week of my June 2008 vacation job.

Vacation Job, June 2008 (II)

2008-06-14T02:35:00.004+08:00

Sorry, people, no photos for this post. Alright, I am probably too busy this week (my second week of work now) to take any. As expected, I was 'promoted' to scanning goods for this week, though there was still the occassional cleaning of mouldy bags (hey, new shipments had arrived!). What was not expected, though, was that scanning goods wasn't any better than cleaning mouldy bags. In fact, I dislike both tasks so much that going to work has become more of a penance. What options do I have? I have my hands tied by a 1 month contract (which lasts till the last day of June), you know.

Ok, let me run down the process of 'scanning goods'; in other words, the internal workings of a warehouse or store: Department stores like Robinsons, Metro, BHG, Takashimaya, Tangs and The Wallet Shop begin each day by faxing their orders to the company (of course, they take turns; each department store doesn't order goods daily). Needless to say, there are various branches for each department store (e.g. for BHG, there's the Bugis flagship store, Tampines and so on and so forth), and different branches will fax over their orders separately. On 'good' days, there will be orders of less than 100 items for each branch, but for 'not-so-good' days, there will be orders of more than 100 items for each branch, sometimes more than 200. If we can't finish scanning the goods that are ordered (scanning the products updates the warehouse's inventory so that the company can keep track of the quantity of products that go out and in), we may be required to clock some overtime hours - and I had personally done that twice this week. There were times when errors occured - when the quantity of products indicated on the invoices didn't match the the quantity of ordered products stated on the goods order form, and when that happened, we would have to check the scanned-product-list against the goods order form and rectify the errors. It may seem like an easy task here, but imagine doing that constantly in a dusty, hot warehouse, and you will know what it really feels like. After scanning the products, I need to pack the products into cartons and label them accordingly before the delivery person can send the products to the store. For a person who has an allergy to dust mites, working in a dusty and hot warehouse wasn't all that good afterall. Now, it'd be inappropiate to mention that I prefer scrubbing mouldy bags either because that task is a severe bore. So, erm ... ... I HATE THIS JOB!

And twice this week, I suffered severe headaches - perhaps due to the 'bad' environment. And yesterday (Friday, June 13 2008), I came down with a flu, not excluding a dry throat and a slight fever - all thanks to my damn job. While I may have the ability to pen this post with all the aforementioned still present save the headache, I am afraid I may not be fit to complete my graduation project (which is due next Saturday, June 21) today. I really want to complete it - either by today or tomorrow, but - ok, I will try. I want to start on my Ninja Gaiden 2, you know.

The sole consolation this week was that I finally found a shorter way to work. I now alight at Bouna Vista MRT Station prior to transferring to bus service 91. By the way, I am getting sick of the canteen food - meh! Now, only 2 more weeks left and I am switching jobs. I should have more than ample money to get a PSP Slim and Lite by the end of July or earlier. Do check back next week for the review of my 3rd week at work. ARGH! The last day of June can't come soon enough!

Arnold's Fried Chicken is Mediocre

2008-06-09T21:27:00.007+08:00

Looks are deceiving

It isn’t often that I hear people suggest that there is an eatery that serves better fried chicken than the ubiquitous KFC and the definitely-better-than-KFC Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits (now also located at the Singapore Flyer in addition to Changi Airport). And when it does happen, it would perhaps be time to dedicate some attention to the eatery. However, after dining at Arnold’s Fried Chicken last Sunday night (June 8 2008), I discovered that my opinions on the food there are diametrically opposed with those found here: (http://www.hungrygowhere.com/singapore/arnold_s_fried_chicken/).

Being the food lover that I have always been, I made my trip down to City Plaza, which is near Paya Lebar MRT Station – with the specific aim of wanting to ascertain the many positive claims made by netizens about Arnold’s Fried Chicken. I took approximately an hour to travel from my home to City Plaza, but what’s 1 hour if there’s heavenly food as reward? Surprisingly though, I left Arnold’s Fried Chicken feeling wholly dissatisfied and severely pissed off by the stupidity of the many netizens (refer to the link above).

Recommended are the Half Spring Chicken Meal and the so-called ‘must-try’ coleslaw, so I ordered just that – the Half Spring Chicken Meal, which included fries and coleslaw, but excluded drinks. Arnold’s Fried Chicken supposedly fries the chicken only when a customer orders it, so I needed to wait for about 5 minutes before my meal arrived. During the 5 minutes, I was looking at the many other patrons eating their chicken – you know, so that I know what to expect. While some were literally guzzling down their chickens, some sank their mouths into their chickens in somewhat measured mouthfuls – and there were palpable looks of awesomeness on their faces. Aha! My Half Spring Chicken meal finally arrived.

And I took my first bite. I allowed the chicken to move around the interior of my mouth – this, so that my tongue can have some time to lick up the spices and juice of the meat. But alas, there was none. I found myself chewing on some tasteless pieces of chicken – as bland as paper. Perhaps more noteworthy is the skin of the chicken, which I found to be appropriately marinated with the right spices – it was also extra crispy! But that’s about it. The meat was simply disappointing. Arnold’s Fried Chicken thrives on some people’s stupidity – the unfathomable inability to tell the difference between hot food and tasteless food. You see, Arnold’s Fried Chicken is simply using the hotness of its ‘fried-only-after-it-has-been-ordered’ chicken to mask the blandness of the meat. Arnold’s Fried Chicken can deceive goons, but a goon I am not, so here’s my valedictory verdict on its chicken: It’s mediocre, and it’s just a food centre’s Western Food Stall’s fried chicken in disguise at best.

Its fries are hopeless chunks of nonsense and while its coleslaw is really good, it still doesn’t justify a trip down to Arnold’s Fried Chicken. I can get coleslaw which is just as good at some of the food centres in Singapore. I would rate the fried chicken served by Arnold’s Fried Chicken 4th after the most delicious fried chicken in Singapore from Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits, followed by McDonald’s McWings in 2nd position, and KFC’s fried Chicken in 3rd position. I would advise Arnold’s Fried Chicken against opening any more outlet because it’s just isn’t there yet.

Tried Arnold’s Fried Chicken before? It’s located at City Plaza and Pasir Ris Town Park. Disagree or agree with my views? Drop a comment. I have always loved to hear from my readers.

*Do note that the vaguely offensive language used in this post is not intended to insult, but rather to make the post more lively. Any offence caused is regretted.

What Does Money Mean to Me?

2008-06-08T15:27:00.004+08:00

In this world, there are millionaires. There are also people who are not millionaires, but who do earn enough to afford a comfortable life that is peppered with occasional oversea vacations and large purchases. Then there are those whose lives are not as well off as the former, but they are satisfied, supposedly accustomed to the never-demand-too-much mindset. And that’s not forgetting that there are also people who lead frugal lives, sometimes hardly earning enough to make ends meet. Where am I? I am somewhere between the second and third category of people. I have never really gone overseas before, but I can’t claim to be dissatisfied with my life because I (as well as my parents) am still able to afford some luxuries in life. Examples of luxuries include the 42-inch LG LCD TV in the living room (which er … … I persuaded my parents to buy, and which probably is also the single piece of item in my home that I am most proud of) and the Xbox 360 and DS I bought with my personal cash.

I don’t have any branded garment in my wardrobe, save for a piece of Levi's shirt, jeans, and an Adidas shirt. There are 2 more Adidas shirts but those are given by others. Often, I found myself looking at those expensive (and beautiful) garments in department stores, but I can’t really afford to buy them because funds are limited. Neither can I afford the many toy robots that I would wish to collect if I have the financial muscle. So what does money mean to me? What are the times when I splurge and what are the times when I save my money? Am I a spendthrift or miser?

Truth be told, I am both; I am a spendthrift, but I am a miser as well. Being a food lover, you would seldom see me scrimping on food costs. In fact, I am willing to pay good money for good food – well, as long as the food is not too atrociously expensive. My parents often demurred at my eating habits, but hey, who can resist good food?

Some people mistake me for being a spendthrift because as a (now semi-withdrawn) gamer, I tend to spend much on games and consoles (like my Xbox 360 and DS; I still want to buy a PSP Slim and Lite!). As a tech geek, I also have a habit of buying IT products. But I would rather consider myself as a miser (well, a half-miser) in this aspect. You see, while I buy the aforementioned, I do not purchase items that I do not use. And I NEVER buy games, console and other gadgets at SRP (standard retail price); I always search around for the best bargains and if possible, buy second-hand products. I go to forums to look for sales, check out eBay and comb through the websites of several retailers to see which one is selling a particular product at the most affordable and the most justified price. If required, I would also plan my purchase weeks in advance and go down personally to different shops to check out the prices and compare before making the final decision. Yeah, it’s all quite troublesome, but I have saved hundreds, so what’s there to stop me from doing those? I know people who would just walk into a single store without prior comparison and come out with the product that they want – without knowing that they have paid for an overpriced product (perhaps cheated) and that they can get a MUCH MUCH better deal elsewhere. For instance, I discovered that my former secondary school classmate bought a PSP Slim and Lite for $500. Seriously, WTF! I can guarantee you that he had been cheated. With $500, you can buy an Xbox 360.

So yeah, I may appear as a spendthrift (pss. I have admitted to others that I am a spendthrift too), but hey, I am actually a part spendthrift and part half-miser at heart. Hm, I can already picture my food costs escalating in the future when I begin life as a working adult. Signing out. Anyway, new poems ‘Afternoon Tree’ and ‘Eyes and Smile’ are in the works. Look out for them soon!

Vacation Job, June 2008

2008-06-06T20:22:00.026+08:00

Chicken so Good

2008-05-25T20:19:00.004+08:00

For only the 4th time in my life have I tasted the awesome chicken of Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits this week at its Changi Airport Terminal 1 branch. It chicken tastes so unequivocally fantastic that it beats KFC’s hands down. And then you must have wondered: If the chicken is so irresistibly nice, why haven’t I patronised Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits more often? Well, unfortunately, Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits only has branches at Changi Airport. I live in the West and a typical trip to the Airport would take me a little more than an hour, so it’s relatively inconvenient for me. KFC wins by virtue of its several branches, but had Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits set up more outlets, it would put all other fast food restaurants in Singapore out of business.

My trip there this Friday with my friends proved to be worthwhile as the chicken still tasted as good as ever from a year back. The price had increased, though. A 2 piece chicken meal costs $6.90, 70 cents more than KFC’s similar 2 piece chicken meal. But what’s 70 cents when the serving was more generous than KFC’s? Not to mention the distinctive taste of its Cajun fries, butter biscuit, and mashed potato in addition to the main food itself: the chicken. I was pleasantly surprised by the improved taste of the mashed potato as spices had been added. The butter biscuit was a refreshing change from the typical soft bun, and it was in equal parts crispy and unique. Furthermore, the strawberry jam made an excellent accompaniment to the butter biscuit. The Cajun fries weren’t over fried and soggy, but rather, stiff and crunchy. All the sides served to complement the savoury chicken, which I consumed in delicate mouthfuls.

However, the price was a little steep. As mentioned, a 2 piece chicken meal costs $6.90, while a 3 piece chicken strip meal costs $6.70. Each meal comes with a selectable side and a drink. An upsize costs $1, instead of the usual 50 cents, and you need to pay extra for requests of specific chicken parts. But does it matter? No, it does not – you pay good money for good food. So far, I have only tried its chicken strips and chicken parts, but I will be sure to have taste of its burgers and fish the next time I drop by.

Aw, if only there are more branches of Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits because I like it so much! On a sidenote, I did a search on Google about similar chicken offerings in Singapore and discovered Arnold’s Chicken at City Plaza. So, let’s head out for it!

Awful, and More Awful Food

2008-05-22T18:38:00.016+08:00

(picture from http://www.lovesingaporefood.blogspot.com/)

Alright, I have heard this statement for the umpteenth time: When you are hungry, any food tastes nice. But I beg to be at variance with this statement – especially when my neighbourhood is swarmed with second-rate eateries and food centers. Now, this is an issue because whenever my stomach is growling, I need to spend a few moments contemplating what I should eat. You can call me a finicky eater. But after having consumed the mostly (note: mostly, not all; there remains a smattering of exceptionally good food) pathetic fare that my neighbourhood eateries and food centers have been offering for so many years, I am loath to tolerate the food any longer. Sure, there is the better ersatz western-style food cooked by those restaurant chef rejects once in a while to relieve my taste buds of all the torture, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is acceptable. You may chastise me for not being willing to spend much on food, but hey, I am a penurious guy – there is the occasional fast food meals and restaurant delights, but nothing more.

I experienced this very same woe again this afternoon. For a moment, I thought it would be fun to prepare my own meal. Perhaps a juicy sausage wrapped in between a soft bun and topped with mustard and ketchup. But like so many times before, I decided not to because cooking is just too inconvenient. I have to search for the ‘ingredients’ in the supermarket, mess up the oven, and clean it after all is done. Now, isn’t that too much of a hassle for a simple sausage bun?

Which leads me to the next question: Why is typical Singaporean food so awful? A newspaper report once quoted a cooker at one of those food centers, who said that the food at food centers isn’t prepared to appeal to taste buds. Rather, the food is just meant to fill stomachs. I accepted his words without demur – or perhaps his words are a mere euphemism for “We suck at cooking, alright. We are only interested in money.” Yeah, as you might have extrapolated by now, these cookers have no passion in preparing good food – they are only interested in churning out garbage – food that are so tasteless (even if the food has a taste, it is probably awful) and vomit-inducing – and collecting your moolah.

All hope is not lost, though – that is, if you place your faith in those television and magazine food guides. But do count me out, please. I have encountered numerous food stalls and eateries which have been awarded with these so-called “good food labels”, which are at times complemented by photographs of the cookers posing with the celebrities to inject credibility. But their food is anything but – I have been disappointed by the distinct lack of quality in the food time and time again.

Oh gosh, please, spare me the crap. There were times when I was really hungry and had no other choices but to force the terrible food down my throat. Pardon me, but I am not a food critic, nor do I have the ability to provide detailed descriptions of food, but if you want to have a taste of how awful is awful food really like, do drop a comment, but I suppose that if you are a Singaporean, you must have had similar experiences. You may expostulate against this commentary, seeing that the typical food served in the food centers is the most affordable, but the lack of any sign of quality in the food is unacceptable. And now, I cross my fingers, hoping that things will improve.

Marvel-ed

2008-05-20T17:33:00.007+08:00

For someone who is not au fait with comics and American animation, it is a surprise that I have a liking for superheroes, especially Marvel’s. That liking didn’t come around all by itself, though. When I was a kid, I often tuned in the Iron Man, Spiderman, X-Men, and Fantastic 4 cartoons. But as I grew up, those memories slipped away. It was not until the big screen debut of Spider-Man in 2002 that I became intrigued in the world of superheroes again – it brought back all the memories from my halcyon days.

For a moment, I thought Spider-Man was a one-off effort. But then, Hollywood acquired the penchant for pumping out superhero flick after superhero flick after Spider-Man swung into the cinemas in 2002. Through extraneous influences, perhaps, I began subscribing to the Hollywood superhero craze for whenever there is a new superhero film in the cinemas, be it X-Men, Fantastic 4, Spider-Man, Batman, Superman or Ghost Rider, I would instantly rush down to my nearest cinema to book my tickets for those films. Still, I didn’t bother reading up on the stories behind those superheroes. There were instances where fans had disparaged some of the films from deviating too much from the original comics, but I didn’t quite comprehend the kerfuffle.

By this time, I have already become accustomed to Hollywood pushing out at least one superhero flick per year. Already, we have Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Dark Knight, and Hellboy 2: Science of Evil in this year alone. But it was THIS one film that elevated my interest level in the world of superhero to the next level: Iron Man. The influence Iron Man had on me vis-à-vis the other superhero flicks is stronger. For one, I felt that Iron Man had more zest than its counterparts – more action-packed though much time was spent navigating the periphery of Iron Man’s origins, and a more realistic plot. That one scene after the end of the credits also jolted me into attention – the one where Nick Fury made an appearance. For someone who didn’t use to believe in the existence of inter-connection between the different Marvel superheroes, this scene, while short and perhaps vaguely insignificant to loyal readers of the comics, prompted me to finally read up on the stories of the various superheroes. This was also helped by my friends’ sporadic discussion of the Marvel superhero universe, at times peppered with esoteric terms that intrigued me even further.

Now, a few weeks after watching Iron Man, I have also watched the direct-to-DVD animations, namely The Invincible Iron Man and Ultimate Avengers. The former was a let-down. More noteworthy is Ultimate Avengers. I just watched it a few days ago and I must say that it left me impressed and more knowledgeable about the Marvel superhero universe as a whole. After experiencing The Invincible Iron Man, my expectations were lowered, but Ultimate Avengers’ clever use of humor proved me otherwise. I am currently on the qui vive for Ultimate Avengers 2, which I believe would be better than its predecessor. Meanwhile, I continue to comb Wikipedia for articles on anything superhero.

And I would like to dedicate my heightened interest in the superhero universe to Iron Man, and my friends, of course. Cheers! I have been marvel-ed.

Fatally, but Creatively Flawed

2008-05-17T19:58:00.019+08:00

BEHOLD! THE WHITE SCREEN OF DEATH! YOU SUCK, CREATIVE!

For a long time, I have wondered how MP3 maker Creative got its name. I finally found the answer - that its products are fatally, but creatively flawed. Before you Creative fans bash me, allow me to present my plight first because as you would have guessed by now, I had and have a very bad experience with my Creative product.

My old Creative MP3 player, a Zen Neeon 512MB to be exact, was a reliable gadget until its buttons and scroll decided to break down 2 years into service. 2 years was a respectable lifespan for a MP3 player. Well, fine, it was time to upgarde anyway since the 512MB was hardly enough to contain my entire music collection, which was expanding on an almost daily basis.

There was one time the i-Pod Nano and i-Pod Touch were some of my choices for a new player, what with their oh-so-attractive looks, but I decided against buying them as they were considerably expensive and I wouldn't want to use iTunes to sync my songs to them. I returned to Creative, as it is an established brand and its media players are justifiably priced and affordable (according to costs to features ratio). I selected the new Zen, successor of the hard-disk based Zen Vision: M, as it looks sleek and its price tag was right. I thought I had caught a big fish, a bargain. BUT I was so DAMN wrong. You suck, Creative. Consider me gypped by your UTTER NONSENSE!

Ok, so what if the Creative Zen costs a mere $175 for the 4GB version (a bargain compared to other media players of this calibre)? So what if it has a big, beautiful screen? Does it matter that it has a feature that most other media players don't - a SD card expansion slot? Nope, it all doesn't matter - because the fact stands that Creative's quality control sucks like the veritable quality of those Made-in-China imitations of Nike products. This IS an affront to me, a real SMACK in the face - that Creative media players are so affordable ONLY because they will only last you a maximum of 2 months before all sorts of craps start appearing - HP, don't smile, because you too has committed a smiliar offence (my 2005 HP PC came with a corrupted hard disk, but the retarded HP staff kept on insisting it's my fault!). But let's get back to the main subject - CREATIVE, YOU SUCK!

Ok, to be fair, everything was alright until 2 months into service. But then the first problem appeared. My videos stored in it magically disappeared from the video selection list one fine day. That was strange, since the videos still registered occupied capacity in the Zen. Thinking that my Zen was corrupted (somehow!), I transferred all my music files onto my PC before trying to reformat the Zen. But guess what? The videos (again) magically appear. So I had just wasted my time transferring my music files out and messing up my playlist and track information and album art details. Oh great, so now, I have to reorganise everything.

AND then the 2nd problem occured! The Zen was cruelly messing up the taglines of my music files, so instead of .wma or .mp3 files, I have files that were of unknown formats! This happened whenever I reconnected the Zen to my PC and the worst thing is: I had no idea what caused the problem. For a moment, I felt like calling the Creative customer service hotline and giving them a lashing, but alas, I was too busy to do so. Perhaps it was an excuse for being too lazy. Fortunately, the problem fixed itself (magically - again!) after some time. So, all's going to be alright from then on, right? NO!

Just a few days ago, I encountered my 3rd problem with the Zen in my few months with it (image). But now, instead of the software giving me headaches, it was the hardware. Yes, the piece of Zen itself. When I switched on the Zen, a mysterious white (and blank) screen appeared and I could not operate the player. Now, WHAT IS THIS! I attempted to reset the player, but it could not work. For some reason, the songs were still able to play but I did not have any access to the interface, so it was as good as the Zen being non-operational.

Speaking of the reset button, it is there FOR a reason. Creative knew in its tests that its stupid Zen will fail - well, that's the only reasonable explanation as to why the reset button is there, right? So, yeah, Creative knew that the Zen will fail, yet they did nothing to remedy that problem and actually had the guts to release its malfunctioning Zen into the market. During my few months with the player, the Zen had already frozen for no particular reason on several occasions (more than a dozen times, to be exact).

As if to add insult to injury, the CREATIVE salespeople ARE official retards - they are the most CREATIVE people I have ever met - spinning the most CREATIVE tales to trick people into buying the Zen. I remember asking a salesperson for more information on the Zen a day before my purchase. I asked him whether the Zen would be able to play .avi and .wmv files because those 2 are the most popular formats and any proper media player worth its salt should support those 2 file formats. The salesperson assured me repeatedly that the Zen would be able to play the aforementioned and even recommended me to use .avi files as they are more suited for the Zen. Perhaps I was too naive, perhaps I was not careful - that I didn't take a good look at the specifications on the back of the package before buying. BECAUSE the Zen supports neither .avi nor .wmv files, but rather, .mjpeg, .wmv9 among a host of other moronic file formats. So what does this mean? This means I have to convert my videos into these compatible formats before I can watch them on my Zen. Well, fine, something has to go if the price is low, right? As if converting a video isn't inconvenient enough, the conversion software took a crappy 1 hour plus to convert a 1.5 hours long video. Well, I have to admit that it was my fault for not looking at the specifications clearly before I bought the Zen, but what pissed me off was: THE SALESPERSON LIED TO ME!!! THE CREATIVE SALESPERSON LIED TO ME!!

Man, you suck, Creative. And not only do you suck, your salespeople are a bunch of ignorant idiots who know nothing about the products that they are helping to sell. Either that or they have lied to me with inimical intents.

So what now? I am fed up with my Zen. I am fed up with Creative's poor quality control. And yeah, my examinations are over and I finally have the time to call those other idiots at the Creative HQ. Or perhaps drop them a mail. And then go down there and ask for a refund/exchange. This is your last chance to prove that you're a credible company, Creative! Now, don't be like HP who adheres to the philosophy of "THE company is ALWAYS right, and the customer is ALWAYS wrong!" HEY, HP, YOU SUCK TOO, OKAY! I AM NEVER GOING TO BUY YOUR HALF-ASSESD PC AGAIN BECUASE YOU HAVE POOR QUALIY CONTROL AND YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HOPELESS.

For now, I would advise anyone who wants to buy a Zen to steer clear immediately. It sucks, alright. Don't be fooled by Creative's "Credit card sized wonder" advertisements for the Zen. Because at the end of the day, all you're getting is garbage. DON'T BUY CREATIVE ZEN, DAMMIT! It is cheap, but it is trash! Unless Creative gives me a refund or an exchange that doesn't actually spoil, I will never buy another Creative (and HP) product again.

Again, I must repeat: Creative, you suck! And yeah, HP, the customer is always wrong. You suck too!

P.S. If you have had a bad experience before too, feel free to drop a comment. And if you Creative and HP suckers happen to read this too, feel free to drop a comment as well.

Walk on Water

2008-04-26T21:02:00.002+08:00

Beneath the rolling clouds
Miles of mythical azure
Light swirling eddies of mist
Dancing upon it like graceful swans

Pulling my fingers through it
Could I feel the little drops of comfort
Moments so magical
Rare are they

Could I wish to walk on the water
Could I wish to dance on the water
Because so great it would be
Relishing every moment I would

A foot out
A hand out
To start my walk on the water I wish
Swathed in desire is my heart

But wouldn’t I sink
Piece of glass it is like
A song of fatality its fragility sings
Wouldn’t the water grab me beneath

But wouldn’t I float
A magical piece of carpet it is like
A tale of wonder it tells
Wouldn’t I hover on the water

Mind a no
Heavy am I for the water
That once I set foot on it
Submerged would I be

Heart a yes
That sometimes I never know
Light am I for the water
Only delight awaits

Wishing for the day
When my mind and heart would agree
But rarely do they
Why

Mind the logic
It tells a no
Walk on water
Impossible it is

Put a heart forward
It tells a yes
Walk on water
Burning with desire I am

Wishing for the day
When my mind and heart would agree
But rarely do they
At conflict always

Still standing on the jetty I am
Don’t know what to do
Sometimes it would be nice
To let the heart think

Putting the mind away
I would like to walk on water
I would like to dance on water
Wish me luck

Anatomy of a Dream

2008-04-20T13:05:00.004+08:00

Towards the end of every day
The incipient black creeps though the sky
Glowing moon and glittering stars
The accompaniments of it

It is when the trees below
Stop swaying
And the birds within
Stop chirping
And the metropolis in the backdrop
Grows austere
For the little windows of lights
Has ceased to embroider the buildings

Dispersing the discernible
The night does
Developed nebulous forms
Some things have
And there comes a time
When I lay down under the sky
And my eyelids close

Rest will the eyes
But the mind wouldn’t
And there comes a time
When dreams happen
Reality they contravene
But not always

I dream I dream
Of things so great
Of things so sweet
That sometimes
They are just ephemeral
Just out of my reach
But dreams know no limit

I dream I dream
Of things so great
Of things so sweet
That sometimes
I just wish they would carry on forever
But wake up I always do
And it hurts to realise that they are just dreams
Never to be fulfilled

Rest will the eyes
But the mind wouldn’t
And there comes a time
When dreams happen
Reality they contravene
But not always

I dream I dream
Of things so beautiful
Of things so close
Of things so real
That sometimes
I smile in my sleep

I dream I dream
Of things so beautiful
Of things so close
Of things so real
That sometimes
I just wish they would carry on forever
But wake up I always do
And realise that
Some dreams are not dreams
They are hopes
Always ready to be fulfilled

I know I know
Some of my dreams
Are mere moments of escapism
But some of my dreams
Have led me to greater things
Fulfilling some of them have I done
And I know I know
That I would fulfill more of them soon

When the night surrenders to the day
My eyelids open
And I step up to fulfill some of my dreams
Because I know I know
Some dreams are not dreams
They are hopes
They are the reality
Just waiting to be fulfilled

Avenue 18

2008-04-14T20:29:00.003+08:00

Shivering me
In the car I was in
Decrepit row of houses outside
Crackling to the call of the treacherous winds
Headlights dimming
For the roar of the malevolent thunder
Had brought them to their near demise
Could I see nothing

But I could hear
The road beneath
No longer its virile self
Brick by brick falling into the abyss
Monolithic red orbs from below
Threatening to sunder the car

It wasn’t too long ago
That I made the turn
A turn into Avenue 17
That led me here
Will there be no tomorrow now

But I did see
Avenue 18
It was just up ahead
Beyond the turn
Bred uncertainty

They who told the story
Of Avenue 18
Some who turned into the avenue
Their souls brandished into the abyss
Getting their comeuppance
Suffering the unimaginable pain
But there were some who made the turn
And escaped the abyss
Transported into a world that they so longed to see
A world where the sun rays will warm their souls
A world of hope

Avenue 18
Take a gamble
A slide on the steering wheel
Was all it would take
Take no consideration
A gamble no longer
For the abyss was about to unleash
To unleash its piece de resistance
And disintegrate everything
Turn into Avenue 18
Or will I not see myself tomorrow

Darkness upon the avenue
The trees along it
This was the time
Where delirium could make things happen
Branches of the trees seemingly stretched
Ready to drag me back into the abyss
For a moment
Enshrouded in mist

Then the car moved faster
Expressing incredulity I was
But soon from the mist it emerged
Was I no longer shivering
Was it no longer dark
And there were the sun rays
Sifting through the canopy of leaves

A turn onto Avenue 18
Brought me daylight in a second
Cherish the hope and delight
Had I made the most crucial turn of my life
And survived
A turn onto Avenue 18

Came out from the car I did
Isn’t it time to change
Sleek new car before me
Donned in a jaunty yellow
Getting inside
Revving it up
Feeling the newly-founded power and difference
And in this new car
Will I continue on Avenue 18

Cinderella's Shoe

2008-04-06T21:13:00.008+08:00

At the stroke of midnight
Escaped from the ball she did
Told her the fairy did
That the magic will only last till there
For after midnight
The dress will be gone
Her ethereal beauty diminished
But in her haste
She dropped one of her shoes
A red elegant shoe

There the shoe lies
Fit anyone it never will
For only the one with the charm of Cinderella
For only the one who has the touch of Cinderella
Will fit into the shoe

That day as I looked down at the shoe
I thought of you
Many days have I been glancing at you
Many days have I been looking at you
And sometimes I meet your face
Sometimes I meet your eyes

And I wonder
Why haven’t I been talking to you
When we are already in the same class
So close
Is it a wonder
Why haven’t I been getting to know you better
When we are already in the same class
So close
Wishing to do all those
It is a wonder
Why I haven’t been fulfilling my wishes

The calendar tells me
Time does not permit
For only tomorrow
All will end
But Cinderella’s shoe knows no time
For anytime
You can always come
And put it on

Only tomorrow
The class will end
But only tomorrow
Will a new one start
Hoping to see you there I will
Wishing to talk to you
Wishing to get to know you better
But why can’t I start doing them now

And I wonder
Why haven’t I been talking to you
When we are already in the same class
So close
Is it a wonder
Why haven’t I been getting to know you better
When we are already in the same class
So close
Wishing to do all those
It is a wonder
Why I haven’t been fulfilling my wishes

Cinderella’s shoe
Fit you I am sure it would
I would like to talk to you
I would like to know you better

Song of the Rain

2008-03-24T21:47:00.004+08:00

When the cold winds blow
There leaves no one but me
Chilling spine
It knocks me out

When I awake
Under the shelter I am
Remember I can’t
How many days have I been unconscious

Where am I
I can’t tell
For miles and miles
Grass and concrete make their homes
But under I am a shelter
A shelter out of nowhere
Where am I

A victory over the sun
The leaden sky claims
Like charging bulls
It dominates
Soon I could see nothing
Nothing but somberness above

The first drop lands
Landing on my outstretched palms
But like a spike
It stings

Soon it comes
Pelting down
On the shelter
On the grass
On the concrete
Drop after drop they come

Together
A medley of tones
Singing rain
Composing its song
Under the auspices of the shelter
The grass
The concrete
Like a consummate musician
With great panache the rain sings

But listen to it carefully
To the song of the rain
Beneath the simplicity
It is one of sorrow
It is one of sadness
Is the rain telling me something
Is the rain singing me something

Perhaps
I am singing the song of the rain
It’s just that I aren’t aware of it
Perhaps
I am singing the song the rain
Feeling every drop of the rain

Without You

2008-03-17T22:26:00.007+08:00

Is it just that night
That I sat on the bench
Dispersed stars offering scant comfort
The lamp above
Warm light sweeping down on me
Casting a shadow
My shadow
Or was it mine

A shadow it was
Dark and blank
Without features
Only coldness and silence
There was only a shadow
How many times has it been like that

A day on the phone
Listening to the same old tone
Monotonous tone it goes
Over and over again
Waiting for the life
But there is only coldness blowing into my ears
Only silence talking to me
There is only a shadow
How many times has it been like that

A day on the streets
Within the rush of people
Admist them
Coldness caressing my hands
And it never leaves
Only coldness
Within the rush of people
I could only hear silence
Only silence
There is only a shadow
How many times has it been like that

Am I missing someone
I want to fill the shadow
With colours
With features
With life
But it isn’t possible without you

How many years have I been waiting
For you to take the bench
For you to pick up the phone
For me to hold your hands
I want to smile to you
I want to bring happiness to you
But there is only a shadow now
And only coldness and silence

Am I missing someone
I want to fill the shadow
With colours
With features
With life
But it isn’t possible without you

Will it take days
Or will it take weeks
Or will it take months
Or will it take years
Before I meet you

I haven’t met you
But I will always be waiting for you

Incandescent

2008-03-09T14:13:00.007+08:00

On the field I saw
Gamboling sheeps
But suddenly
The sky became engulfed
In an unfamiliar black
Howling winds
Like the call of wolves

Shaking trees
Threw their leaves out
To the animosity
Of the periphery
A different world it had become
Marauding demons will come

But see I did
In the middle of the field
An unused candle
Glow of the crimson wax
Drew me to it
The flame rose
In a mythical instant

Incandescent
Demons intimidated
Darkness overwhelmed
The winds don’t blow
But only if I stay within its glow

For six years it stood
With a wax that doesn’t melt
With a wick that doesn’t shorten
With a flame that never ceases
Warmth and comfort through me
But get too close to it
And it burns
Scorching flame it burns

The sky now
Swathed in darkness it no longer is
Howling winds are history
There comes the breeze
As gentle as rabbits
Rainbow it appears

But where was the flame
It went off
Did it matter
Beautiful sky I love
Chirping birds they greet
But where was the flame
It went off
Did it matter

For two months
Dormant candle it stood
But today
When I opened my eyes
I saw the flame
I saw the glow
I felt the warmth
I felt the comfort
Incandescent again

Let the beautiful sky stay
Forever
Let the flame stay
Forever
Incandescent

Only Tomorrow

2008-03-05T20:57:00.008+08:00

For so long
Has the calendar been lying in that corner
Perhaps forgotten
But not that day
When I picked her up
A few thousand thoughts
Her numbers gave

She told me it is months
But time has the power to fly
It is no wonder
When months turn into weeks
It is no wonder
When weeks turn into days
But isn’t it all only tomorrow

Isn’t it all only tomorrow
When all these will end
When all these will grey out
Into the mind
Into the memory

Only tomorrow
Will a different sky appear
But hold the sky I can’t
Only tomorrow
Will a different sun appear
But hold the sun I can’t

Isn’t it all only tomorrow
When all these will end
When all these will grey out
Into the mind
Into the memory

I want to remember
The time spent with all of you
And hope I want
To see all of you again
After tomorrow

Meeting with the Mirror

2008-03-01T13:19:00.006+08:00

Year after year
There she lies
With a glassy beauty
Surprisingly gone unnoticed
A few surreptitious glances
Were all that she received

But one day
With an unseen yet ineffable force
She called me to her side
And spoke something into my ears
Into my mind
Something that changed me
That was a mere two months ago

And now
Twice a day
In the morning and evening
I meet with her
By her side
She enchants me

Overnight has she changed me
From a haphazard figure
To a one consumed by vanity
The hair
The face
The body
I meet with her daily
Advices she gives
Benefit me to no end

And now
Twice a day
In the morning and evening
I meet with her
By her side
She enchants me
A meeting with the mirror

It is Time

2008-02-24T17:04:00.004+08:00

Time it flies
Time it tells
Powerful is time

Time it flies
Time it evades your attention
With a fathomless immensity
Pushes you it does
With a speed
Exceeding light’s
Over it is in a moment
But realise it you do not

Time it tells
For any uncertainty can be solved
Powerful is time
Sit back
And let time do it
Soon you will know

It is time
Open your palms
And let it go
Let it fly
Let it tell

First Dream

2008-02-23T11:59:00.008+08:00

Too many days
Too many weeks
Have I been dreaming
Dreaming of paradise
But arrive it never did

And when I finally pulled away my curtains
All I saw was thick fog
Too thick
Strawberry I picked up from under the tree
The red gone
The smoothness gone
Can I no longer see my reflection
A strawberry
An ordinary strawberry

All it took were some words
Some serious words
That cleared the mind
And thrusted me back into reality
Before me it stood
And the reality still stands

Too many days
Too many weeks
Have I been dreaming
Dreaming of paradise
But arrive it never did

It was sweet while it lasted
But a dream
Remains a dream
Waking up from it was a pain
Pain it came
An early pain it was
But I would not have it any later

That day as I lay in bed
With a heart too broken
For a few minutes
The tears just flowed
Without control
Without limit
But sorrow it brought out
Because it was all a dream

Within the tears
Lay my first dream
Washing it away
Let the heart wash it away
Time to get over it
Because there are better things to accomplish
Things that are sweeter

Too stubborn is my mind
And I found them etched
Etched there within the mind
Is my first dream
And the image of you
Irremovable
Perhaps they are there to stay
And one day many years later
I will take them out again
Perhaps five years later

But by that time
I would be in my second dream
A second dream that I want to live
Tears to the keyboard
I will close this
And move on
Move on

A Cold Match

2008-02-18T20:29:00.003+08:00

Like a bundle of needles
It stings
For every drop
Is draining my life away

The strength is gone
For the snow has just taken it away
On the whitelands
I fall
It is cold

But from there
She appears
Giving me a lighted matchstick
She told me to hold it
To get up and follow it
To follow the glow

I look around
The wanton snow engulfs my soul
Too cold
And I wonder if the matchstick is enough

Snow is falling
Icy lands I am standing on
For miles and miles
And I wonder if the matchstick is enough

I am going to try
Survive I want
May the warmth come
But all I have is a small lighted matchstick
Is it enough

Live

2008-02-15T22:24:00.003+08:00

Eyes blinded by the overwhelming sun rays
For a moment
It was all too bright
But the sun rays soon gave way

Squinted my eyes did
At a panorama of wonder
Raising my hand
I touched the air
That the grass
The trees
The sky
The rainbow
Breathed at me

I found a spot under a tree
Sat down
And looked at the sky
A great relish it was

A strawberry dropped from the tree
A leaf glided down

Picked up the strawberry I did
Holding it in my palms
It was red
Too red
It was smooth
Too smooth
I saw my reflection on it

Picked up the leaf I did
Holding it at the tips of my fingers
Flowing with the wind
It was green
Too green
It was delicate
Too delicate
It soothed my fingers

Strawberry and leaf
In my hands now
I want to keep them
I want to live here

The Girl

2008-02-14T10:07:00.003+08:00

Solo in the forest
Appears a girl from behind the tree
Exuding an unmistakable sense of beauty
Pretty she is
Fading the environs into oblivion

She who smiles like a Cheshire Cat
Emits rays of warmth and reassurance
From within the angelic smile
Her voice gives birth to a power
That warms the lonely soul

Her eyes open
Unleashing unprecedented amounts of confidence and cheerfulness
Bringing life to everything once again
Resurrecting the eyes of mine

The image of the girl
Received and kept
Never ceased to be forgotten
She who leaves now
Will enchant and charm forever

Who is this girl?

Prologue

2008-02-14T10:04:00.004+08:00

Hide it hides
But not for long
When the trees brush away
It appears

Arrived I have
At a place where there are two skies
See it
Breathe it
Touch it
While the tranquility lasts

When the sky changes
It changes
When the blanket comes down
It swirls
It pushes

When it is all over
It breathes again
Breathing life into its periphery

I will stay
Where the river flows