the random thoughts of mine

the mishmash of tweet-like thoughts as recorded in South Korea

2010-10-11T21:00:00.002+08:00

i had never felt more lost in my life, while somewhere in Seoul
somewhat around the Gangnam area. the moment i asked for help, though,
i got it. the kind man even took the bus with me to my destination.

depending on the kindness of strangers is not exactly a plan. but
doable in south korea to some extent I guess, if you manage to convey
enough information. (and if you have great faith in the human race)

Why are temples often built in mountains/various inaccessible places?
by the time you climb up you're too shagged to bother if what they're
saying is true. alternative explanation is you're so shagged, you
thought you've reached enlightenment.

deserted hostels, punishing hikes, (slightly) suicidal climbs,
spectacular views, damn shag legs. glad I made the day trip after all.

at the point of time, I was thinking "you must be shitting me..." -
looking up at the 'fortress'

my shame: being passed by aunties climbing on my way up to see the
rock. I later found out that trail was 'only' moderate.

everyone thinks I speak Korean, but I suppose I don't look
particularly non-Korean.. funnily enough, I speak the other 2 major
Asian languages except Korean. time to learn!

i should totally update some Wikitravel pages!

Long bus journeys seem to be my sorta thing.

finally get to meet Im again after such a long time! time for some
'typical' touristy things in Seoul!

iPhones: their wifi is power. notifications get through paid/secure wifi
even if you don't log on.

Geongbokgong is a sprawling palace smack right in the city, with a
good amount of green spaces on between various exhibits of ancient
palace life and museums. Not something to be walked if you'd been
hiking the couple of days before, though. it's bad on the legs.

After a leg-killing walk around the Geongbokgong (景宝宫）we went on to
check out what Insadomg had to offer us for lunch and snacks, before
heading to a fun-filled evening at Lotte World!

Gotta love the Gyro drop.. it offers a nice panaroma of the
surrounding scenery, if only you're not too busy panicking at the
rapid increase in height of your position. Plenty of other thrills and
spills for the less lion-hearted out there, though..

Something else I noticed was the number of people wearing various みみ,
mostly couples and groups of girls. We've never really had a theme
park in Singapore so I guess I never thought of theme parks as a
couple-ly or dating place, but now I know otherwise...
Anyway, we got found an energizer bunny of our own without too much
prompting or egging...

It was too much for us to take after such a long day out waking about,
and pretty much crashed landed at the hostel..

Attempted some shopping the next day, but I lost interest after being
unable to fit into an XL-sized shirt. Bah.....

Busan has teh most awesomez seafood. fresh, cheap, and what more could you ask for?

more walking and climbing in Busan. i do the same touristy things everywhere, huh.

The Wolf and the Lamb

2010-08-02T12:24:00.002+08:00

I'm not linking this story with any current happenings, as I do not want to be arrested, for reasons outlined by the story.

From Aesop's Fables:

Wolf, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to the Lamb the Wolf's right to eat him.

He thus addressed him: "Sir, last year you grossly insulted me." "Indeed," bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, "I was not then born."

Then said the Wolf, "You feed in my pasture." "No, good sir," replied the Lamb, "I have not yet tasted grass."

Again said the Wolf, "You drink of my well." "No," exclaimed the Lamb, "I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother's milk is both food and drink to me."

Upon which the Wolf seized him and ate him up, saying, "Well! I won't remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations."

Moral:

The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny, and it is useless for the innocent to try by reasoning to get justice, when the oppressor intends to be unjust.

Lets have Capital punishment for everything in Singapore.

2010-07-31T13:10:00.002+08:00

Everything also want death penalty. These people obviously never die before so can anyhow say.(Pun intended.)

While we're at it, we should just go back to driving horse carriages and bicyces (the latter of which isn't the worst idea) since no one seems to be able to handle/accept speed at any level except F1 drivers. Who also crash occasionally.

Anyone who really wants to enjoy the 'pleasure' driving shouldn't do it on city roads, period. Unless they're masochistic or something. Try going to Malaysia, just up north, or Australia with their long open roads. It's much, much more enjoyable there!

On another note, Singapore's roads could do with a bit of raising of the speed limits. Cars have developed so much over the years (although not neccessarily drivers), but the speed limits haven't changed for years. In the daytime the speeds are naturally limited by the amount of cars on the road anyway, so I believe there wouldn't be too much effect on the accident statistics.

ST Forum Letter
Jul 31, 2010
Yes, let's have tougher penalties for speedsters

IN HER letter ('Speeding deaths: Consider capital punishment'; July 21), Mrs Ivy-Singh Lim suggested the ultimate penalty for drivers who cause death through negligent driving.

This might sound draconian but considering the worsening situation on our roads, she might have a point.

I drive my four grandchildren to and from school every day and I must confess that I never have peace of mind whenever I am on the road.

The thought of the unthinkable is enough to take away all the pleasures of driving.

The Traffic Police must immediately step up the frequency of patrolling, especially on our highways. Installing visible speed-limiters on all goods vehicles would also help.

If these measures still fail to rein in the speedsters, the following punitive measures should be considered: a lifetime driving ban, a long jail term, caning or any combination of these. Repeat offenders should face the prospect of a death penalty.

Speedsters must get the message that they are not welcome on our roads and that there is a high price to be paid for their anti-social and dangerous behaviour.

If we are to make this place the most liveable city, beginning with the well-being and safety of our children, one of the more urgent tasks is to make our roads safe for them.

Lee Seck Kay

my take on Google vs the Chinese Government

2010-03-24T20:33:00.002+08:00

Google makes announcement. War of words between Google and the Chinese government ensue.

Google tries to follow its "Don't be evil" mantra. Redirects search queries to .hk domain. Sort of getting around the laws, but nothing illegal in itself.

China doesn't like it, and blocks them anyway, and calls Google names, accuse them of being the US govt's lapdogs, and various bad press all over China. So much for rule of law, and respecting it.

The Singapore govt seems to agree with the Chinese govt. Just read the Google/China news on The Straits Times! I suspect we might get Google.com.sg blocked too, at this rate.

Cheers for more irony in sunny Singland

2009-12-19T17:15:00.003+08:00

What appeared in the Straits Times Forum page today:

Political criticism not a crime here
-Chong Wan Yieng (Ms)
Press Secretary to Minister for Law

What happens behind the front page news (if it was reported in ST/Today/CNA, I haven't seen it at this time):

Judge agrees that it is illegal to criticize Govt without permit
-in a post on the SDP website

Who should we really believe?

Flood Protection: Rotterdam vs Singapore

2009-11-25T16:04:00.002+08:00

From the BBC :
"experts now estimate the country (Rotterdam) is protected from all but a one-in-10,000-year event."

Compare with Singapore, where 2 "Once-in-50-year events" have taken place in the last 3 years...

the power of google in social studies

2009-11-11T14:22:00.002+08:00

Japanese Marriage, According to Google (Sankaku Complex, NSFW ads)

The Algorithm seems to be honest where people can't.. Try doing a survey on people on this topic, and you'd quickly realize the answers are going to be wrong, but try a survey on their search habits and you'll see a very different picture..

Similar to something I unearthed a while back:
Coincidence in technology, a fun article maketh

random theory of the day..

2009-08-08T12:45:00.002+08:00

The one most suited to be a ruler is one least inclined to rule.

Of course, the most glaring problem is getting someone like that to take on the position.. which then poses the problem of whether this person isn't interested in the first place.

changing habits

2009-07-18T16:18:00.001+08:00

sure looks like I'm tweeting more often than blogging. I should merge the 2 soon...

Well, looks like someone already beat me by far to it..

2009-05-01T01:47:00.002+08:00

Engineering and Technology Careers are Not Valued - Singapore is “High Cost Low Tech”

Its hilarious to see the powers that be trying to entice students to go into engineering, by talking about it, putting that into the news, even going as far as making MediaCorp shows about it.

Its not so hilarious when you're still a student in the field, or worse a graduating one right now.

One of the most irritating thing that I remember about this issue happened a year or two ago, when some official from the powers that be talked about the salaries of civil servants. I don't remember the exact words, but effectively he talked about "making salaries competitive so that we attract and keep the best talent".

This doesn't sound so bad, until another official went something like "they (people in the science & tech sector) must have a love for the work, it's not just about the pay"....

I can only say, all people are equal.. but some are more equal than others.

20 days of Twitter..

2009-04-30T02:57:00.003+08:00

my original intention was to use twitter as a supplement to my blog, as i found it too tiresome to create a new blog post just to post up a link and a short description of interesting things that i might have seen.

I'm also rather prone to very short blog posts, so i guess twitter as a 'micro-blogging' tool would be kind of suitable for the purpose.

so essentially i have increased the frequency of updating posts (in the form of twitter updates), and improved a little my motivation to blog more. not too bad...

but as a social network, i don't really see the point as yet. perhaps its still too early for me to be able to garner the supposed benefits yet.

thoughts on the AWARE saga

2009-04-24T14:06:00.002+08:00

When women feud, all hell breaks loose...

The new exco demonstrated perfectly the strategy of "shock and awe" to win electorial contests. Keep all your activities low profile in the run-up, then unleash the surprise. I've often thought about it, but it's now a proven strategy..

There are retards who write into the ST forum page to ask the Government to ensure AWARE stays secular. Is there anything that Singaporeans can do WITHOUT our Government? Secularity of the organization should have been written into the AWARE constitution itself, and sufficiently protected from exactly such takeovers, and the changes that come with them. Then again I'm no lawyer, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about..

Singapore (generally) need a whole lot more PR expertise. If you're in a position where you are suddenly thrust into the limelight as a public figure, you better be prepared for the limelight.. not sure about the old exco, but the new exco definitely failed in this area.

I fully support equal rights for all. I simply hope that whichever future AWARE emerges, it will continue to do the same.

so true

2009-04-23T14:29:00.001+08:00

from QDB:

"A woman has a close male friend. This means that he is probably interested in her, which is why he hangs around so much. She sees him strictly as a friend. This always starts out with, you're a great guy, but I don't like you in that way. This is roughly the equivalent for the guy of going to a job interview and the company saying, You have a great resume, you have all the qualifications we are looking for, but we're not going to hire you. We will, however, use your resume as the basis for comparison for all other applicants. But, we're going to hire somebody who is far less qualified and is probably an alcoholic. And if he doesn't work out, we'll hire somebody else, but still not you. In fact, we will never hire you. But we will call you from time to time to complain about the person that we hired."

sorry.google.com - anyone else getting a lot of these recently?

2009-03-28T02:17:00.003+08:00

it probably looks like this:

seems like i'm not the only one, but.. its sporadic for now.

msg me if you do!

1 step forward, and..

2009-03-24T17:32:00.001+08:00

2 steps back for civil liberties in singland.

fear is a powerful driving force indeed.

does this mean... i'm not old yet??

2009-02-28T17:58:00.000+08:00

Created by Train Horns

wonder if anyone noticed...

2009-02-26T21:31:00.002+08:00

Netizens failed to “self-regulate”

The PM’s press secretary, on Temasek and the GIC’s performance

So. This same unnamed website that they both criticize, but the logic is such irony. It is used as an excuse to threaten more attempts at controls for lack of 'self-regulation' and balance, but is later acknowledged to be "a website devoted to anti-government invective".

I don't know about you, but I find this strangely funny. Maybe I just like to see how they fumble.

blogs

2009-02-08T00:10:00.002+08:00

more and more people are making their blogs invite-only.

there goes my online-stalking hobby.....

misc

2009-02-06T23:30:00.002+08:00

i dislike very fizzy drinks cos i can't burp (so drinking them makes me feel uncomfortable).

de-gassed sparking rose isn't too bad, though.

i guess blogging while under the influence isn't exactly the best idea around....

quotable quotes.

2009-01-24T12:00:00.004+08:00

Recently just 're-discovered' gssq's blog.

I'm such a sucker for minimally-worded quotes with maximum impact. Efficiency for the win, perhaps?

Freedom is just another word for nothing to left to lose.

"The scientific name for an animal that doesn't either run from or fight its enemies is lunch." - Michael Friedman

A new beginning (of the end?)

2009-01-01T14:30:00.002+08:00

I don't normally make new year blogs or the like, but who cares.

2008 wasn't the best year for me by any measure, but I survived it.

Here's hoping 2009 brings better things.

Ip Man

2008-12-24T12:20:00.002+08:00

Managed to catch it on Monday with drew. Action was excellent, except until towards the end, where it was both predictable and a little staid.. but that's not the point of this post today.

I suppose the action is where the meat of the movie is, but I couldn't help feeling uncomfortable with the extremely nationalistic overtones present throughout. Admittedly I'm no good with my own patriotism, nor any other explicit displays of nationalism, so it could be just me. But I also believe it is increasingly an outmoded concept in this connected world of today. I may also be a Japanese sympathist as might be guessed, though I believe myself to be not.

Pride.. is a strange thing. And so is dignity. Perhaps in bringing up rational and realistic-thinking citizens, Singapore has just shot itself in the foot of loyalty to the country.

hmm.

2008-11-17T00:04:00.002+08:00

feel like starting a new blog.

maybe it'll appear sometime soon. like post-exams.

今、ここにいる私

2008-11-12T21:10:00.002+08:00

ずっと前から、貴方を見ていた。
今までも、貴方を見ている。
苦しいですね。

Now you're so close, yet, so far.
It always feels like it's going to be all, or nothing.
I can't even imagine what life would be like, if I ever drew the 'nothing' card.

Yet nothing will change, if I don't do anything.
It will be as it is, as it was.
I still don't dare to.

苦しいんだ。
一年待ってるんか
二年？

分からないな。
待たせるなら、貴方には待たせますか？
そうゆう事は、おもわない。

いったい如何すれば　いいんだ？

taking a very short breather..

2008-11-07T11:45:00.002+08:00

In the time between my last post and now, so many things have happened.

Pre-Olympic Water polo event happened.

The Beijing Olympics came and went.

Almost a whole semester has flown by.

Obama got elected.

My personal life, though.. has never been more.. static.

And it seems, the moment I take the time out to blog, nothing actually comes to mind. Bloody brilliant...

Gimmelwald and the Schilthorn

2008-07-22T18:53:00.000+08:00

Gimmelwald and the Schilthorn.

The main purpose of coming to this place was to hike, to put it plainly.

And hike I did, though I apparently picked a bitch of a route for a first timer. 5 hours in total, at least 3 of them thoroughly brutal. I suppose that is part and parcel of a mountain climbing hike, though..

At first it was a mostly solo route, and I hiked for about 2.5 hours before I eventually met anyone who was attempting the same route as I was. It sure helped a lot to meet a human being after hiking through cow pastures and mountainous routes which looked more like climbing routes than hiking routes, with the furthest civilization perhaps about 1-2 hours away. It was at that point where I considered turning back, but it wasn't an option either.. with company, I managed to get all the way up, but my woefully unprepared legs were about to cramp every so often.

With all that said, the hike was worth it.. the views were incredible (and could've been even more so, if not for the clouds), sheer drops which inspire complete vertigo, scenery of the various grasslands, flower fields, pastures, mountain peaks, high-altitude lakes.. I think it'll all be enough to satisfy me for now.

Kircheim & Stuttgart

2008-07-22T18:48:00.000+08:00

Visiting Dominik in Kircheim and Stuttgart

This segment had been planned for ages (since we met in Autodesk), though he only recently finished his exams to be free enough to accomodate me..

First up was the Mercedes Benz Museum, where we saw pretty much the entire history of the automaker, abeit with some extra tidbits of world and German history. But since I'm not exactly a big fan of this particular German brand, it was.. just alright I suppose. Though there were a few interesting models like the one that was built to hit a top speed of 600 km/h, but never did come to fruition due to the outbreak of WWII.

Dominik's parents fed me so well that I gained about 2 kg during the stay at his home.. so all the hard work maintaining the weight was wasted... but I satiated all my meat cravings for some time, so I guess that's too bad... I hope.

We hit a hot springs around the castle area, which was really relaxing, though it was full of old people... and Dominik got hit by a bitch who wouldn't admit her mistake.. and was completely irritating to boot. Thankfully we got on the rest of the day without much event.. and finished off with a birthday BBQ of one of his friends.

The long beaches of Marinsicuro and Tortoreto

2008-07-17T18:48:00.001+08:00

Visiting Luca in Martinsicuro, Tortoreto and the beach.

I gotta say, this would be the best part of my trip in Europe, with the sun, sand and sea (with some rain thrown together for good measure) and getting a bit of a preparatory tan before I go full blast back in Singapore, hopefully with some wakeboaring as well.

Along the east coast of Italy is, as I discovered, pretty much an endless view of the beach and the Mediterranean Sea, with an abundant amount of sun and humidity, resulting in tropical weather in the summer that rivals Singapore and then some.

In La Capannina I met all the members of Luca's fiance's family-run business, who showed me the finer points of Italian coffee-making and fed me enough good food to almost make me gain some extra kilograms immediately. They make a pretty rowdy family, very fun to be around and showed me much kindness during my stay, helping me improve on the poko italiano that I know.

I regret not bringing out my camera often enough during my stay there...

Road to and fro Rome

2008-07-17T18:48:00.000+08:00

Roma: Capital of Italy and the ancient Roman civilization, and the site of one of the world's most influential entities in the form of Roman Catholicism's seat of power, the Vatican city.

Staying in a hostel in the downtown area around Roma Termini mean that I got to see a more residential area that was a little less awe-inspiring than I thought Roma was supposed to be.

The tourist areas were very distinct from the rest of the city, as you can really see the tourists, but the moment one starts walking away from the them, one will be able to see the true face of Roma: working people busying themselves, having lunch, making deliveries, shopping, etc..

I hit the Coloseo trail first, jumping the queues into the Colosseum by buying an audioguide, and exploring most the the tourist-visitable areas. Having a somewhat sufficient knowledge of the Colosseum from playing all those Caesar games meant that I hardly needed the audio guide to know most of the history behind it.. though it helped a little. It's not actually that huge by modern standards (maybe similar to today's average stadium in size) nor particularly spectacular in my opinion, but I guess that's just me. Spent the rest of the day covering the rest of the eastern bank of the Tiber river, as I had already covered some areas the day before.

The Musei di Vaticano wasn't so much of a great collection of works, but the Sistine Chapel was something else. Unfortunately the experience was a little marred by tourists who simply couldn't or wouldn't keep their mouths shut in the sanctuary of the chapel. St Peter's Basilica was quite awe-inspiring in scale, though it makes food for some thought-provoking questions in how the Catholic Church is able to amass the sort of funds and use it on something like it..

Firenze a.k.a. Florence

2008-07-10T18:48:00.000+08:00

Firenze

Spent pretty much just a day in Firenze, as I got there late on my first day and went off early on my last..

The biggest thing that I missed out on was actually David. The queue to go see him was so long, that I basically didn't bother.. maybe I should've seen that instead of going into the Ufizzi Museum, in which I saw a couple of Leonardo da Vinci's works, but didn't comprehend much else anyway. Obviously, I suffer greatly from a lack of art appreciation ability..

Most of the day that I actually spent walking around was just that, walking around.. checking out the touristy areas, walking off into the not-so-touristy areas and feeling a little lost and on edge, climbing up high places to get the good views of the city, like the Dome and the Piazzale di Michelangelo.. or something like that.

Since I didn't manage to spend much on anything here, I decided to splurge quite a bit on my 2 nights' worth of dinner.. which I think was well worth it, if only for the dessert and service..

The B&B that I stayed in was also quite a nice place.. its actually situated in a residential sort of area, so you do get the feel of how living there might be like. The provided breakfast was unhealthy, but good nonetheless.. and is a nice touch that differentiates itself from the rest.

Lausanne & Lake Geneva

2008-07-07T14:46:00.000+08:00

Lausanne, Geneva and the lake

Cultural differences abound. Apparently, even if you're of the same culture, differences can still rear their heads up..

I have failed to impress 1 auntie. Not exactly the sorta milestone one wants to hit, but well.. what to do. Her idea of respect is quite different from mine..

Lausanne is a really pretty city especially when the sun is out and the skies are clear. Lake Geneva is really a sight to behold, with the Evian mountains across the lake, and Geneva (sometimes) visible down to the southwest.

Italian train strikes the day I go there. Am I lucky or what?

Swiss train companies are very nice. But sometimes not as competent as you really want them to be.. because of the strikes, we had to stop at a swiss border train station and take a bus to Milano.. and figure out the rest of the way there. But the bus driver didn't know the way, and had to be helped by a passenger, by which point I thought we were doomed...

The bus ride was more scenic than any of the train rides I've taken so far, though. Winding mountain roads that induces vertigo when you look down the sides of the road from the bus, streams that run from the mountain itself and flows down cliffs breaking into waterfalls, that eventually join up into larger and wider rivers downstream. Sheer cliffs with nature's own brand of art on the stones, that rise up imposingly high with the rest of the Swiss Alps.

Somehow, we manage to make it to Milano, though. Luckily enough for me, there was a train to Firenze, but not sure if I'll get there in time. I think i just wasted a travel day on my Eurail pass though.

Let's hope my hostel holds my reservation long enough for me to stay there tonight....

Berlin Biked

2008-06-29T09:44:00.000+08:00

Berlin Biked

For a bit of a change, I managed to cover most of Berlin's most important landmarks on a bicycle, day 1 on the New Berlin free bike tour and day 2 on my own (because of this I also managed to waste a day ticket on the DB).

It's a pretty refreshing experience. Laziness does set in sometimes, though, so much that sometimes i just refuse to get off the bike to walk... the freedom of movement is something to think about, as you can cover large swaths of area almost effortlessly (if you're a competent biker). Berlin seems to be a mostly bike-friendly city, so that helped somewhat.

I didn't make it to any of the concentration camps, but I did go to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Its message is clear: Do not forget, for if it could happen once, it could happen again.

When I read that line, I began to think about the implications to Singapore...

I did not see the horrors of the Nazi atrocities with my own eyes, nor any evidence or reenactment. But the effects, the stories, everything is real, and clear.

Berlin is also the first city I explored on my own.. a fact which isn't of any particular significance.

Just a few comments on the european transport systems....

2008-06-27T09:44:00.001+08:00

The European Transport System

Having almost a month (coming to 2) of experience travelling on European rail systems, it became almost painfully obvious that the Singapore transport system is very lacking.

World-Class transport system in Singapore? That's almost hard to believe. After so many years, almost nothing has changed in the Singapore system. Which is to say, little has improved. The Circle Line is still undergoing construction, but that is not due to be complete for some time. There is a new NE Line on the MRT, but has not solved the problem of accessibility from the North to the East, due to it being the 'spook' part of the wheel. Train schedules are still non-existent, trains are still crowded, all the more so now that people are 'encouraged' to take public transport with high fuel prices, higher ERP charges and heavy traffic conditions.

The main problem has not been solved, though: The transport system has not yet improved to the point where everyone can take public transport.

I suppose it might be a chicken and egg problem. If it isn't seen to be improved, people still prefer cars. If there isn't more overcrowding on the public transport, they would not have much incentive to improve due to the duo-/tri-poly of the companies running the systems. As profit-driven companies, they don't really have to care for what the people really want, but milk the most money out of them.

It has been suggested many times over for the Transport Minister (or whatever he is supposed to be called) that he himself use the public transport system instead of his own cars, but this suggestion seems to have fallen on deaf ears, which really underlines how much the really care.. Seriously, they want people to drive less, they need to make an example of themselves first. Singaporean citizens aren't paying Ministers millions to live lives frugally... or maybe that's what we're all supposed to do?

Rest stop: Eindhoven & Amsterdam Redux

2008-06-27T09:38:00.000+08:00

Rest stop: Eindhoven and Amsterdam Redux

After the pickpocketing in Madrid, it seems that I kinda lost the thirst to travel more, temporarily. To be honest, who wouldn't? I took almost a week off from travelling and pretty much just relaxed at Jordan's place, with a bevy of other bio-engineering students. During this time of rest and reflections, I figured out my modus operandi for the next month, as I continue traveling through Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Hopefully it would not be a long series of unfortunate events like my first part of my journeys..

Eindhoven is pretty much the Phillips town. Not bustling like Paris or Barcelona, it's a neat, clean town without ambulances or police sirens whizzing by every hour. With bicycles as the major mode of transport here, cyclists almost get the right of way over cars and pedestrians, and bicycle parking is much more prevalent than those for cars. I suspect though, it might be true for the urban Holland areas as I observed this in Amsterdam as well.

Speaking of Amsterdam, I went there for the 3rd time, exploring the city central on my own, munching on delicious (but expensive, comparable to sashimi) raw Harring (Herring) fish. No weed!

All in all, I've regained my energy levels enough for another month of travels and adventures.. hopefully!

Madrid in short.

2008-06-20T09:44:00.000+08:00

Heatstroking in Madrid

pickpocketed in Madrid.
penniless for a few days while i get some sorta replacement financial support from sg.
what else to say?

Catalan days..

2008-06-19T09:38:00.000+08:00

Catalan days.

Barcelona.. easy on the wallet, excellent on the eyes, mouth-watering for the tongue.. what else does a tourist need?

Hot weather? Check.
Sandy beaches? Check.
Tourist friendliness... somewhat. But it's part and parcel of traveling in europe without knowing any european languages, I guess. I can say thanks in so many different languages now, sometimes i confuse even myself.

It's not as bad as it seems to be, though there was alot of difficulty trying to get my point across in English when all they speak is espana. note to self, brush up on my spanish, italian and german before i try to start working here in the future.

One Parisian Week

2008-06-17T09:38:00.000+08:00

One Parisian Week

Long week in Paris.. almost too long, in fact.

First day out, we meet up with Yumi and go around the more well-known touristy spots like the Notre-Dame, Musee d'Orsay, Arc d'Trumph and the Effiel Tower. we were poorly clad for the cold winds of the night, and spending hours waiting to get all the way up to the top of the tower in the cold was not one of the most romantic things one can do, so we decided to wait it out for the next night.

Next up was the Versailles with Yumi and Boo as well. spent the whole day there, walking in the gardens, which are amazing in both scale and design. Nice dinner, then walked to the Tower, and realized it was too late to go up.

Then there was the Pantheon, Luxembourg gardens, some shopping near the Arc and then a quick visit to the Louvre museum to see the Mona Lisa, among others.. the Mona Lisa is a little underwhelming, though. Took a long tour among the artifacts as i don't really have a great appreciation for paintings and sculptures.. yet.

Then we finally went up to the Tower and had incredible views of the city at night.

Met up with Fides on Sunday.

Generally, despite the lack of French, we could somehow get around, I guess. It's a nice city, in terms of views and tourist-friendliness (maybe too friendly.. too many African/Black/Indian touts trying to sell stuff on the tourist spots), but I honestly have to say, it's over-romanticised? But I guess I'm not particularly qualified since I went there as a single and not as part of a couple, so.. maybe couples would have a differing view from me.

Thoughts in Munich

2008-06-10T09:38:00.000+08:00

Thoughts on Munich

To be honest, I didn't see much of Munich itself yet. I saw a lot more of the surrounding areas, like Salzberg (Austria) and the Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Salzburg
Day-tripped to Salzburg, to visit their castle (yet another high place). Euro 2008 festivities were going on though, so there were big screens everywhere, along with the crowds. Bars and even restaurants joined in with at least a TV showing the current match in the evenings.

The climb up the mountain and the castle was at best an extremely long and arduous process, with so many Moholt-level slopes and stairs that awaited at the top of those slopes.. but the views offered were more than breathtaking.

The city gardens were really pretty places..

Schloss Newschwanstein
One of the contenders for the Wonders of the World, and rightly so. Getting up to it wasn't easy (handicapped travelers are discouraged from going up), as it entailed a 40 min hillclimb, with more climbing within the castle itself, where it is guided-tours only.

The castle itself wouldn't have been considered very much in my opinion, though I do marvel at the fact that it was even constructed. From an engineering perspective, it would have been a nightmare to begin with... the views from the castle, however, really gives one the "I'm the King of the World!" sensation. Vast plains, rolling hills, shining lakes.. all from one single window, one single balcony, one single wide 180-degree panorama that overwhelms one's senses with awe and inspiration.

I really think it is a pity that no one had ever lived in the castle, and no one ever will. though I suppose it might be better off as a government-owned property for tourism than kept as a playground for the inordinately rich.

Realisations in Prague, Czech Republic

2008-06-06T22:00:00.000+08:00

4 days in the Czech Republic:

Lots of walking. Realization of how people seem to like high places, since half of the attractions consisted of being perched on top of a tower of some sort. Note to self: don't climb all the towers/high places all in a day.

It was an aesthetically beautiful city, but is unfortunately a highly commercialized place as well. Almost everywhere you go, you see souvenir shops, people hawking and selling along Charles' Bridge, leaving precious little space for photo opportunities, filled with people walking about with cameras and maps out.

Got my card cut up in a restaurant. Biggest WTF moment in Prague. There went my norwegian sim card.. and I have to get another card shipped from home because of this stupid new card.

Summer international trains are so crowded.. should've tried to get some sorta reserved seats, except it'd probably cost so much that i won't last the whole holiday..

Coincidence in technology, a fun article maketh.

2008-05-21T05:32:00.007+08:00

While reading the ST Forum online as usual, I noticed an interesting letter:

While I don't completely disagree with the lady's views, maybe that's Singaporean men are marrying foreign brides in droves. So much so that even the wonders of Google's Adsense realizes that...

i wonder again..

2008-04-30T06:43:00.003+08:00

i wonder if i've become risk-adverse.

there is something i've been dying to let out..
but there are only so few that i can do so with no effects on the situation.
and especially not to the one who is concerned.
it's kinda delicate now.
or maybe i'm just imagining the situation.
adding in the fact that there isn't much i can do at the moment about it.. i'm starting to feel as if i'm in stasis while everything happens outside of my bubble.

someone said the worst thing one could say to another is the sentence "let's just be friends" or "we're just friends" or whatever to the effect.

i can really understand why.

decisions, decisions, decisions.....

you know..

2008-04-19T03:58:00.002+08:00

..mark has alot on his mind when you see blog posts popping up one after another.

most of the time it probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense to other people, though. which mark sometimes thinks is a pity, but then again, there isn't a lot of benefit to knowing what mark is thinking.

mark just needs to say something, but can't really figure out what. especially when he's just getting ready to go out. like mark always likes to say, when it rains, it pours....

this happens to be one of those pointless and random posts that don't mean anything whatsoever.

i wonder..

2008-04-19T03:52:00.002+08:00

is moving on a bad thing?

to put things behind us,
to look forward,
to see the new doors opening instead of the one that just slammed shut?

or should i be acting depressed,
as if it was the end of the world,
to grieve at the end of it all.

or should i just, look forward to the future with alacrity?

i'd prefer the latter, thank you very much.

random theory of the day

2008-04-02T01:06:00.001+08:00

the more emo a person is, the more poetic he becomes.

therefore, poets are among the most emo people in the world.

the end. really.

2008-03-31T17:27:00.003+08:00

not a half-assed one this time.

been putting it off for too long. perhaps.

the reason is mainly for my own good. though i guess it's good for her too.

i've never thought i'd think some of the things that i'm thinking now. some of these thoughts seem so evil even to myself, i almost disgust myself. but i couldn't help it. admittedly i wish some of these things on her, but let's just say that i'll relish these thoughts for myself, and there isn't anything i can or will do that will increase the chances of those things coming true.

i've never thought that i'd ever talk to some of my friends about certain things. and i have been very surprised (and totally floored at times) at some of the candid support from friends i've been getting. seriously, not even in my dreams did i think i'd hear the things i've been hearing. although, that is true for the more nightmarish ones as well.

what happened was something i could never hope to understand. how can one cause so much hurt to another? i think even if i tried, i could never ever do anything that scales to even half that level to anyone. the last time i tried to describe it, i wasn't sure i even managed to capture the essence of the pain : "it's like cutting out your heart, chopping it into tiny pieces, slowly and individually stabbing them".

thankfully, that was then.

when you've gone through something like that, nothing else quite hurts anymore. not even a second dosage could penetrate the numbness of me now.

i just hope i can remember how to trust again, to love again.

various thoughts.

2008-03-22T22:13:00.003+08:00

To people who know me, when I start writing here they'd know I'm going to write something that isn't usually so happy.. (why're you here if you don't know me?)

so here it is, again.

been a few things that have been bugging me.

change is something that i usually embrace. some things, of course, aren't meant to change that often, otherwise things would go out of order.

i wonder sometimes i'm becoming afraid of change.

maybe it's cos i'm getting older. as they say, old people tend to me more resistant to change...

i don't find myself changing a whole lot. that's why when i see othe people around me changing so rapidly it does feel a little scary. as if i'm missing out on all the action.

and i do feel, as if i'm always missing out on all the action.

a good part of it, i'd put down to my own circumstances. it always seems that i'm at the wrong place at the right time, so these things seem to happen to me very much less. the worse part is how i'm the one who put myself into these circumstances.

while i'm not a person who bothers with regret normally, if there are enough triggers some time it will give way.

*** *** *** **

just something that i stumbled upon:

"What Happened to All the Nice Guys?"

I see this question posted with some regularity in the personals section, so I thought I'd take a minute to explain things to the ladies out there that haven't figured it out.

What happened to all the nice guys?

The answer is simple: you did.

See, if you think back, really hard, you might vaguely remember a Platonic guy pal who always seemed to want to spend time with you. He'd tag along with you when you went shopping, stop by your place for a movie when you were lonely but didn't feel like going out, or even sit there and hold you while you sobbed and told him about how horribly the (other) guy that you were fucking treated you.

At the time, you probably joked with your girlfriends about how he was a little puppy dog, always following you around, trying to do things to get you to pay attention to him. They probably teased you because they thought he had a crush on you. Given that his behavior was, admittedly, a little pathetic, you vehemently denied having any romantic feelings for him, and buttressed your position by claiming that you were "just friends." Besides, he totally wasn't your type. I mean, he was a little too short, or too bald, or too fat, or too poor, or didn't know how to dress himself, or basically be or do any of the things that your tall, good-looking, fit, rich, stylish boyfriend at the time pulled off with such ease.

Eventually, your Platonic buddy drifted away, as your relationship with the boyfriend got more serious and spending time with this other guy was, admittedly, a little weird, if you werent dating him. More time passed, and the boyfriend eventually cheated on you, or became boring, or you realized that the things that attracted you to him weren't the kinds of things that make for a good, long-term relationship. So, now, you're single again, and after having tried the bar scene for several months having only encountered players and douche bags, you wonder, "What happened to all the nice guys?"

Well, once again, you did.

You ignored the nice guy. You used him for emotional intimacy without reciprocating, in kind, with physical intimacy. You laughed at his consideration and resented his devotion. You valued the aloof boyfriend more than the attentive "just-a-" friend. Eventually, he took the hint and moved on with his life. He probably came to realize, one day, that women aren't really attracted to guys who hold doors open; or make dinners just because; or buy you a Christmas gift that you mentioned, in passing, that you really wanted five months ago; or listen when you're upset; or hold you when you cry. He came to realize that, if he wanted a woman like you, he'd have to act more like the boyfriend that you had. He probably cleaned up his look, started making some money, and generally acted like more of an asshole than he ever wanted to be.

Fact is, now, he's probably getting laid, and in a way, your ultimate rejection of him is to thank for that. And I'm sorry that it took the complete absence of "nice guys" in your life for you to realize that you missed them and wanted them. Most women will only have a handful of nice guys stumble into their lives, if that.

So, if you're looking for a nice guy, here's what you do:

1.) Build a time machine.
2.) Go back a few years and pull your head out of your ass.
3.) Take a look at what's right in front of you and grab ahold of it.

I suppose the other possibility is that you STILL don't really want a nice guy, but you feel the social pressure to at least appear to have matured beyond your infantile taste in men. In which case, you might be in luck, because the nice guy you claim to want has, in reality, shed his nice guy mantle and is out there looking to unleash his cynicism and resentment onto someone just like you.

If you were five years younger.

So, please: either stop misrepresenting what you want, or own up to the fact that you've fucked yourself over. You're getting older, after all. It's time to excise the bullshit and deal with reality. You didn't want a nice guy then, and he certainly doesn't fucking want you, now.

Sincerely,

A Recovering Nice Guy

*** *** *** **

I'm not the Rocovering Nice Guy, but it's not hard to empathize with him, i think. makes for interesting reading. not sure how much the ladies would like it, though.

i guess i should stop the thoughts for now.

Hellgate: London...

2008-03-22T22:01:00.004+08:00

...is not.

Just back (in Belgium) after 4 days in London.

Being in London was a little like going back to Singapore, in some senses. The cars drove on the right side of the road (on the left), (most) people spoke a familiar language, there were (lots of) people, though things were not so (but still quite) expensive.

And London feels small because me and Nic met so many people simply by chance, beside the couple of people we arranged to meet.

Oh, and seeing all those train stations after seeing it in the game, is almost surreal.

And seeing Arsenal's stadiums, of course, is really surreal. And being brought around the area by a Chelsea fan was pretty priceless... Though I didn't get to go inside, it's good enough for a poor student without enough money to get a ticket for the weekend's Arsenal vs Chelsea game, or even just stay in London till then.

Witnessing the transformation of London from a regular weekday to Good Friday is almost scary, from an empty square to one filled with swarms of tourists at London Tower.

I have no knowledge of Monty Python, but I caught Monty Python's Spamalot, which I thought was pretty funny by itself, but I guess i never understood the more Monty Python-specific references. Oh, and for some reason the Brits love to make fun of the French.

2008-01-17T01:25:00.000+08:00

Advanced Global Personality Test Results

Extraversion	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Stability	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Orderliness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	60%
Accommodation	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Interdependence	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Intellectual	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Mystical	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Artistic	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%
Religious	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Hedonism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	36%
Materialism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Narcissism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Adventurousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Work ethic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Self absorbed	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Conflict seeking	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%
Need to dominate	\|\|\|\|	16%

Romantic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Avoidant	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Anti-authority	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Wealth	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Dependency	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Change averse	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%
Cautiousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Individuality	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Sexuality	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Peter pan complex	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Physical security	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Physical Fitness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	44%
Histrionic	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%
Paranoia	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Vanity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Hypersensitivity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Indie	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	46%

Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality test by similarminds.com

Stability results were high which suggests you are very relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic..

Orderliness results were moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly organized, reliable, neat, and hard working at the expense of flexibility, efficiency, spontaneity, and fun.

Extraversion results were moderately low which suggests you are reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.

trait snapshot:clean, organized, regular, self reliant, tough, positive, high self control, very good at saving money, dislikes chaos, resolute, realist, trusting, hard working, dislikes unpredictability, prefers a technical specialized career, not worrying, respects authority, enjoys leadership, finisher, normal, optimistic, controlling, prudent, modest, adventurous, does not like to be alone, intellectual, likes the unknown, very practical, high self esteem, assertive, perfectionist, busy, altruistic

2007 on hindsight

2007-12-31T22:32:00.000+08:00

1. Shit happens.
2. Shit happens most when you don't want it to happen.
3. And it doesn't happen in small little piles, too; when it comes, it's like a whole sewage tank at a shot.
4. Good things also come like that, for some reason.
5. It also doesn't happen when you most seem to need it to happen.
6. I do stupid things.
7. I make stupid decisions.
8. But I try to never regret them, because there is no point, anway.
9. I make stupid decisions that I myself don't understand, months after I made them.
10. I don't need to bother thinking so much about them either, because I just wanna enjoy my student life, while I can. Though it doesn't mean its limited to my student life, I just wanna enjoy life.
11. So, the point being.. Don't worry, be happy!

sometimes...

2007-11-19T01:28:00.001+08:00

...i just feel like saying fuck it, too.

the right thing, eh..

2007-10-29T15:31:00.000+08:00

well. i was gonna say. there's no right or wrong in love.

i don't know how you're feeling now.
since you started (or ended, to be more apt) all this, my guess is that you'll be fine.

i'll be fine. probably.

15 months and 4 days? well. long enough for you? or too long for you.
doesn't matter anymore i suppose.

to be honest, i'd been lonely in the run-up to today.

perhaps that is why it doesn't feel so shitty right now.
at least, not as much as i thought it might.

why would i feel lonely?

you could probably figure it out, i'm not going to spoonfeed you everything.

in whatever case, i hope you'll be happy. with or without me. since that doesn't matter anymore. if it makes you happier without me, then as one who hopes for your happiness, i will not stop you..

my poor, neglected blog.

2007-06-18T17:00:00.000+08:00

So I've not blogged in about.. say, 6 months? Yes, my poor almost-forgotten blog. But at least I'm kinda trying..

In this time, a whole lot of things happened, of course. A whole semester just blew by, for one, along with many events like the Genting trip, inter varsity polo comp, trebuchet-making comp (which we fell short but had lotsa fun nonetheless), a whole lot of exams, Bintan trip, eating escapades, C&C3 was also released, though not all in chronological order.

Getting an internship at Autodesk for 6 months means I won't see NUS for about a year. Well, maybe not so long, since I might still go back for night classes, but in effect I won't be seeing the guys in ME for a pretty long while, perhaps never again if I'm going to extend my stay in NUS. Not to mention she won't be around either. And when she comes back, I'll fly off.

Not exactly the best way to end off her school life, and not exactly the third year of studies I envisioned, but I guess life has a knack of throwing in a spanner to wreak your plans.

ze love of mah life..

2006-12-18T18:12:00.000+08:00

Haven't blogged in a while. Haven't felt the urge to, really. Perhaps it's only when I start getting depressed then I start to do so... but no, I'm not depressed now. Seriously. I mean, how could I.. just see above. =) It's impossible when she's around.. It's almost as if I was in a dream sometimes.

Surprise, surprise: I am a.....

2006-12-08T23:17:00.000+08:00

The Boy Next Door
Random Gentle Love Dreamer (RGLDm)

Kind, yearning, playful, you are The Boy Next Door. You're looking for real Love, a lot like girls do. It might not be manly, but it's sweet.

We think the next three years will be very exciting and fruitful ones for you. Your spontaneous, creative side makes you a charming date, and we think you have a horny side just waiting to shine. Or glisten, rather. You enter new relationships unusually hopeful, and the first moments are especially glorious. If you've had some things not work out before, so what.

Your exact opposite:
The 5-Night Stand

Deliberate Brutal Sex Master

On paper, most girls would name the Boy Next Door as their ideal mate. In the real world, however, you're often passed over for more dangerous or masculine men. You're the typical "nice guy:" without just a touch of cockiness, you're doomed with girls. A shoulder to cry on? Okay, sure. But never a penis to hold.

More than any other type, Boys Next Door evolve as they get older. As we said, many find true love, but some fail miserably in the search. These tarnished few grow up to be The Men Next Door, who are creepy as hell, offering backrubs to kids and what not.

ALWAYS AVOID: The Nymph

CONSIDER: The Maid of Honor, The Peach

Link: The 32-Type Dating Test by OkCupid - Free Online Dating.
My profile name: Mousuke

The life of a kiwi (perhaps human too?), summed up in a 3-minute video

2006-11-12T17:55:00.000+08:00

Urahara Kisuke

2006-10-12T22:20:00.000+08:00

What Bleach Character Are You?

Hosted by theOtaku.com: Anime. Done right.

The same time of the year, the same symptoms..?

2006-10-08T13:08:00.000+08:00

At least, that's what it seems like. The blog posts, or rather, the lack of them.

Haven't had much time to think lately. Note to self: Next time, don't try crazy things like doing 7 modules in a single semester, even if 4 of them consists of 3-MC modules (the workload's not any lighter!).

I finally went wakeboarding with the pink razr gang on last friday during the term break! And actually got up on the board and did some wakeboarding, instead of spending most of the time figuring out how to stand up on it...Adelyn says I look suave above.

And all good things come to an end..

How Geeky Are You?

2006-09-03T19:08:00.000+08:00

Your Geek Profile:

Academic Geekiness: High
Gamer Geekiness: High
General Geekiness: Moderate
Internet Geekiness: Moderate
Fashion Geekiness: Low
Geekiness in Love: Low
Movie Geekiness: Low
Music Geekiness: None
SciFi Geekiness: None

How Geeky Are You?

Now if they had a "How Otaku Are You" quiz...

Pre-O-week musings

2006-08-03T17:23:00.000+08:00

Finally, a semi lazy afternoon to rest, collect thoughts, prepare and generally laze around.

Enough has happened in the past month or so to fill way more than the few blog posts that I have allowed myself so far.. yet I don't really feel like revealing it all for now.

For some, you may already know that I have left singlehood behind..

The better-informed, or the highly gossipy types might have known about the scandals.. I have no idea what caused those events to transpire, but.. well.. what's happened has happened, and perhaps your perception of me might have been forever changed as well.. but Mark will just be Mark, and I don't believe I have changed that much overnight.

O-week starts tommorrow. The enthusiasm that I was filled with pre-Arts Camp has kind of fizzled out.. I'm not sure why. Maybe I just feel too old.. or something. But I'll see through the O- week, and help make it a success, because I said I would, and it is also partly because I wanted to give something back to Arts what they gave to me.

Cors bidding sucks. Though I'm sure everyone knows that already.

In the end, I guess I'm looking forward to this semester, as I'm doing less general physics/math crap, and doing more engineering-related modules.. So here's hoping for a better semester, with better motivation and results!

Hindsight is always 20/20

2006-07-22T18:21:00.000+08:00

I probably mislead some people with the post of the song "New". It was meant as an ode to someone, perhaps someone who has left an indelible mark on my life, but will remain just that: a single mark.

Today was Kelly Koh's wedding. No photos yet (why, oh why did I forget the camera..) until a kind soul who attended the wedding sends me some.. after which they'll appear on the pink side, for the benefit of those who did not attend.

Lesson learnt:

2006-07-18T01:52:00.000+08:00

Too much subtlety can result in complete cluelessness.

"New" ~ No Doubt

2006-07-12T20:42:00.000+08:00

Don't let it go away
This feeling has got to stay
Don't let it go away
This feeling has got to stay
And I can't believe I've had this chance now
Don't let it go away

New, you're so new
You, you're new
And I never had this taste in the past
New, you're so new

My normal hesitation is gone
And I really gravitate to your will
Are you here to fetch me out?
'Cause I've never had this taste in my mouth

Oh you're not old
And you're not familiar
Recently discovered and I'm learning about you

New, you're so new
You, you're new

And you're consuming me violently
And your reverence shamelessly tempting me
Who sent this maniac?
'Cause I never had this taste in the past

Oh you're different, you're different from the former
Like a fresh battery, I'm energized by you

Don't let it go away
This feeling has got to stay
Don't let it go away
This feeling has got to stay
And I can't believe I've had this chance now
Don't let it go away

Why am I so curious?
This territory is dangerous
I'll probably end up at the start
I'll be back in line with my broken heart
New, you're so new
You, you're new
And I never had this taste in the past

Don't let it go away
This feeling has got to stay
Don't let it go away
This feeling has got to stay
And I can't believe I've had this chance now
Don't let it go away

And I can't believe it
Can't believe it
Can't believe it
Can't believe it
Don't let it go away, this feeling has got to stay
Don't let it go away

Therein closes, a colourful & memorable chapter of my typically dull and grey life. Hopefully the colours will continue to linger and become more vivid over time, as we all move onto the next chapter..

and Italy finally lifts the World Cup..

2006-07-10T19:00:00.000+08:00

Italy never really caught the fancy of anyone during the group stages (at least, not as much as Rooney does), and didn't get much attention. But most people wouldn't have doubted their ability to progress through the group stages.

I thought the final was really quite screwed up.. I mean, the penalty.. shouldn't really have been. Italy could have won it outright with those corners that they missed.. and I could have gotten my score prediction of 2-1 to Italy right =/ But who would have imagined that Zidane would throw in a headbutt like that?

A single moment of madness redefined the match.. not that France really had a chance, though, in my opinion.

post camp thoughts..

2006-07-02T13:52:00.000+08:00

The long-anticipated event of this long holidays has come and gone, leaving a month-long-or-so bit of the holiday threadbare.. or is it?

Photos up..

That's it for now.

Dangerous Driving

2006-06-19T17:02:00.000+08:00

Ever got pissed off by people who tailgate you, or cut into your lane without so much as a signal?

Yes? Now watch this: Saab Performance team.

Gives new meaning to "this bugger just cut me off!" !

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi

2006-06-15T15:43:00.000+08:00

Who is Haruhi, and why is she in my nick?

First off.. just some quick background info. The title itself suggests that it's rather depressing shit, but in reality it is a comedic experience which is off the charts.

At least, in the beginning, anyway.

Haruhi, as the main character (or one of the main characters, at least), is by most conventional standards weird, being extremely forward, and is basically unstoppable when she finds something of her liking. Usually the show is seen from Kyon's perspective, an incredibly patient/sarcastic/sanguine character in the face of Haruhi's atrocities & idiosyncracies.

Basically Haruhi represents the sorta ideal outlook on life that I think I should have.. wanting something, and being totally not shy about it. And perhaps, more... Well, something like that, I guess.

I think everyone should watch The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi and Full Metal Panic! Fumouffu! They're pretty much the best comedy one can get from animes! And if you do watch the latter, perhaps you might understand Sousuke a little..

Computer woes, trip and precamp.

2006-06-07T23:06:00.000+08:00

Haven't been updating much, since I was grappling with my new computer. Building a computer from scratch is possible from knowledge scoured from the web, but it's not that easy unless you have some sorta experience.. plus small tiny fingers that fit into the smallest nooks and crannies of computer cases. But now that I've completed it (somewhat.. still having some problems actually), there's a pretty good feeling of satisfaction.

Before I even had a chance to enjoy my new computer I was whisked off to M'sia with my dad to visit my relatives in Ipoh. Ipoh, as you know, is famous for their hor fun.. their chee cheong fun is goodch! It's much softer than most of those sold in singland, plus they have prawn/char siew fillings.. Yummy.

After a couple more days of break there was Arts precamp.. 2D/1N of siaoness. I never fail to be amazed by the energy levels of Charmaine. She's like one of those energizer bunnies whose batteries never seem to run out, jumping up and down everywhere everytime, like she's high on something.

Speaking of crazy, here's a damn crazy video: Krazy Korean Girls.

Now imagine a bunch of about 10 people trying to copy that.

Congratulations, you just got the idea of how siao precamp was.

I'm so amazed at times..

2006-05-21T20:49:00.000+08:00

..especially at the things and people I deal with.

It's one thing to be spontaneous, but a completely different thing altogether to be totally unprepared at all.

What is the point of going overseas and getting all depressed? Of course I can't say much, for I've never tried it myself, but one might have realised it is definitely a good idea to travel with a debit card or so, such that you can book stuff online (and be as spontaneous as you want) and have some emergency cash if something happens.

Then, there's also the matter of relying on someone who's half the world away to help you do such mundane stuff that you yourself should have settled, but haven't..

I am human too, I too make mistakes.. while trying to help you help yourself. And going hysterical on me doesn't help anyone.

Where is this going? I don't know, anymore. I'm beginning not to care, either. That much, at least, I feel I finally understood, or stopped denying.

boredom is the root of some creativity

2006-05-12T20:12:00.000+08:00

What's this?

Explained in the 3rd post. Don't ask me.

bits and pieces of GE 2006

2006-05-06T01:02:00.000+08:00

An Election for the Future.

Of course a damned election's for the future! What else could it be for?

On the James Gomez saga:

Accusing him of having sinister intentions, calling him a liar, and the relentless bashing despite his apology, even to the extent of asking him to withdraw from the GE.. It's absurd.

All this stinks of a Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt (FUD) tactic. This was used by Microsoft to eventually obtain a monopoly for the Windows operating system.. Go figure.

On HDB Upgrading:

This is a long-standing issue that I've never understood why it has been allowed to go on. On the whim of the ruling party, constituencies can be given piority for the upgrading programme. Of course, the ruling party is in power, but the policy is discriminatory and has obviously been used as a tool of persuasion for all these years.

The reasons provided for this situation has so far sounded convincing in the media, but I take none of it. It's a simple abuse of the monopoly on power that the ruling party currently enjoys.

There are more, but I'll stop for now.

Moon On The Water - Beat Crusaders

2006-04-24T21:10:00.000+08:00

Full moon sways
Gently in the night of one fine day
On my way
Looking for a moment with my dear

Full moon waves
Slowly on the surface of the lake
You are there
Smiling in my arms for all those years

What a fool!
I don't know about tomorrow
What it's like to be
Ah~

I was sure
'Couldn't let myself to go
Even though I feel
The end

Oh my fair...
Floating like a bird that's in her wings
You are there
Smiling in my arms for all those years

What a fool!
I don't know about tomorrow
What it's like to be
Ah~

I was sure
'Couldn't let myself to go
Even though I feel
The end

Full moon sways
Gently in the night of one fine day
You are there
Smiling in my arms for all those years

x years ago, on this date..

2006-04-19T21:40:00.000+08:00

3 years ago, on this day: I happily sat on a boat out of Pulau Tekong, looking out at the sea.

2 years ago, on this day: I looked up into the sky, and saw the stars in the Pulau Tekong night sky..

1 year ago, on this day: I had my favourite dinner with a couple of people I consider to be the most important at the time.

Right now?

I've been staring at formulas, solutions, questions and answers the whole day, going crazy, and having a generally lousy day (more accurately, weeks).

9 more days, I all but remind myself. 9 more days, and it will all be over.

Pre-exam ranting

2006-04-18T15:50:00.000+08:00

Warning: Title indicates the kind of content to come.

I thought I made my choices carefully to avoid the kind of stuff that I never liked, but I guess there was no choice whatsoever. So now I'm getting electrified, magnetized and differentiated and integrated all over my ass, resulting in this mini-outburst that will thankfully last little more than a week more.

And the timing of the exams, well.. I don't have any comments about it left.

I believe it's a conspiracy that the GE campaign is held during the universities' examinations period. Then you can rule out all these totally alternative views from students, see..

Blah, I'm just crapping as usual. Ignore me.

April Fools.

2006-04-01T23:55:00.000+08:00

The time of the year when nothing on the 'net can be trusted. At all. Not especially tech news sites, with breaking news of supposedly cutting edge technology, like Google Romance

Closer to home and more personally...

A conversation on April Fool's went this way:
-----
her: mark.
u know something.

me: ?

her: i've been secretly in love with u for the past 6 months
but i've never dared tell u
so i decided to wait til april fools to tell u
so that if you reject me i can just pretend it was all a joke

me: ....

After a long pause..

her: haha
okok not funny ;)..and proceeds to change the topic.
-----

Sometimes, I don't know what to think.

If I had admitted that I felt that way (or at least, thought there was some semblence to chemistry).. Would it be taken as a joke? I don't know. And it's not like she's single either.

If the whole thing was really true, then.. I guess one might say that I got lucky. But I'm not sure I'd be able to feel guiltless deriving my happiness from someone else's (possible, if not guaranteed) sorrow. Yes I have nothing to do with the guy, but still..

If this whole post is a joke, what would she think? =)

It's complicated.

2006-03-28T01:02:00.000+08:00

It just is.

Perhaps I've overdone things a little.

I am not oblivious, but wield not the ability to set things in motion. And I hate to be stuck in suspended animation.

Denial and lack of forthrightness are friendship killers.

Some changes around here..

2006-03-24T02:15:00.000+08:00

Been making some subtle & some not-so-subtle changes to this blog.

Let me know what you think.

In search of that moment of serendipity

2006-03-20T14:33:00.000+08:00

At one point during the past week, I actually thought I found it.

But things are simply, not to be. Though someone keeps telling me, nothing is ever completely certain, no matter how set in stone it looks.

A month more to my birthday. A birthday that I am not, unfortunately, particularly looking forward to, seeing as how it heralds the start of the examinations period.

I need to get my engine started...

Results direct from Handwriting Wizard!

2006-03-11T01:18:00.000+08:00

Test provided by: www.handwritingwizard.com

From my G's & Y's

Something is incomplete in Mark's life. He feels frustration relating to his physical needs and desires. Somewhere in his life there is some disappointment, non-fulfillment, and interruption. This is very likely to relate to Mark's sexual needs.

Mark has a need to be physically aggressive. He has this need resulting from some unfulfilled physical drive. This drive could be fulfilled by a very physical sport or a very aggressive sex life.

What the...! I DO play water polo, though.

From the way I cross my t's

Mark is sarcastic. This is a defense mechanism designed to protect his ego when he feels hurt. He pokes people harder than he gets poked. These sarcastic remarks can be very funny. They can also be harsh, bitter, and caustic at the same time.

Am I like that?

From the positioning of the strokes of t's

Mark's true self-image is unreasonably low. Someone once told Mark that he wasn't a great and beautiful person, and he believed them. Mark also has a fear that he might fail if he takes large risks. Therefore he resists setting his goals too high, risking failure. He doesn't have the internal confidence that frees him to take risks and chance failure. Mark is capable of accomplishing much more than he is presently achieving. All this relates to his self-esteem. Mark's self-concept is artificially low. Mark will stay in a bad situation much too long... why? Because he is afraid that if he makes a change, it might get worse. It is hard for Mark to plan too far into the future. He kind of takes things on a day to day basis. He may tell you his dreams but he is living in today, with a fear of making a change. No matter how loud he speaks, look at his actions. This is perhaps the biggest single barrier to happiness people not believing in and loving themselves. Mark is an example of someone living with a low self-image, because their innate self-confidence was broken.

-This is the second time I analyzed, with a couple of tutorial pages:

Mark is a practical person whose goals are planned, practical, and down to earth. This is typical of people with normal healthy self-esteem. He needs to visualize the end of a project before he starts. he finds joy in anticipation and planning. Notice that I said he plans everything he is going to do, that doesn't necessarily mean things go as planned. Mark basically feels good about himself. He has a positive self-esteem which contributes to his success. He feels he has the ability to achieve anything he sets his mind to. However, he sets his goals using practicality-- not too "out of reach". He has enough self-confidence to leave a bad situation, yet, he will not take great risks, as they relate to his goals. A good esteem is one key to a happy life. Although there is room for improvement in the confidence catagery, his self-perception is better than average.

I guess I do lie somewhere in between there. Whether or not about the first one...

How I write my m's

In reference to Mark's mental abilities, he has a very investigating and creating mind. He investigates projects rapidly because he is curious about many things. He gets involved in many projects that seem good at the beginning, but he soon must slow down and look at all the angles. He probably gets too many things going at once. When Mark slows down, then he becomes more creative than before. Since it takes time to be creative, he must slow down to do it. He then decides what projects he has time to finish. Thus he finishes at a slower pace than when he started the project. He has the best of two kinds of minds. One is the quick investigating mind. The other is the creative mind. His mind thinks quick and rapidly in the investigative mode. He can learn quicker, investigate more, and think faster. Mark can then switch into his low gear. When he is in the slower mode, he can be creative, remember longer and stack facts in a logical manner. He is more logical this way and can climb mental mountains with a much better grip.

Eh.. Not say I how lian lah, but I think it's true! =P

How I write o's

Mark will be candid and direct when expressing his opinion. He will tell them what he thinks if they ask for it, whether they like it or not. So, if they don't really want his opinion, don't ask for it!

Can be, but not always, I guess.

Slant of handwriting

Mark is moderately outgoing. His emotions are stirred by sympathy and heart rendering stories. In fact, he can be kind, friendly, affectionate and considerate of others. He has the ability to put himself into the other person's shoes. Mark will be somewhat moody, with highs and lows. Sometimes he will be happy, the next day he might be sad. He has the unique ability to get along equally well with what psychology calls introverts and extroverts. This is because he is in between. Psychology calls Mark an ambivert. He understands the needs of both types. Although they get along, he will not tolerate anyone that is too "far out." He doesn't sway too far one way or the other. When convincing him to buy a product or an idea, a heart rendering story could mean a great deal to him. He puts himself in the same situation as the person in the story, yet he will not buy anything that seems overly impractical or illogical. Mark is an expressive person. He outwardly shows his emotions. He may even show traces of tears when hearing a sad story. Mark is a "middle-of-the-roader," politically as well as logically. He weighs both sides of an issue, sits on the fence, and then will decide when he finally has to. He basically doesn't relate to any far out ideas and usually won't go to the extreme on any issue.

Second round with the tutorial:

Mark uses judgment to make decisions. He is ruled by his head, not his heart. He is a cool, collected person who is usually unexpressive emotionally. Some may see him as unemotional. He does have emotions but has no need to express them. He is withdrawn into himself and enjoys being alone. The circumstances when Mark does express emotions include: extreme anger, extreme passion, and tremendous stress. If someone gets him mad enough to tell him off, he will not be sorry about it later. He puts a mark in his mind when someone angers him. He keeps track of these marks and when he hits that last mark he will let them know they have gone too far. He is ruled somewhat by self-interest. All his conclusions are made without outside emotional influence. He is very level-headed and will remain calm in an emergency situation. In a situation where other people might get hysterical, he has poise. Mark will work more efficiently if given space and time to be alone. He would rather not be surrounded by people constantly. In a relationship, he will show his love by the things he does rather than by the things he says. Saying "I love you" is not a needed routine because he feels his mate should already know. The only exception to this is if he has logically concluded that it is best for his mate to hear him express his love verbally. Mark is not subject to emotional appeals. If someone is selling a product to him, they will need to present only the facts. They should present them from a standpoint of his sound judgment. He will not be taken in by an emotional story about someone else. He will meet emergencies without getting hysterical and he will always ask "Is this best for me?"

Somewhere in between.. except perhaps about the part being an expressive person.

Height & size of text

People that write their letters in an average height and average size are moderate in their ability to interact socially. According to the data input, Mark doesn't write too large or too small, indicating a balanced ability to be social and interact with others.

Alright, I have to admit the test is not bad. Though it picks up some strange quirks here and there.

Today is....

2006-03-01T18:50:00.000+08:00

..ACS Founder's Day.

In days of yore, from western shores
Oldham dauntless hero came... yada yada. Spare you the details.

Having gone back to ACJC for Fun-o-rama not too long ago, I don't miss my alma mater that much. I do miss those days, though.

I always wonder, what would have happened had I made a different choice at that time.. but then again, I've never regretted it, because there's no point to it anyway.

Anyway, if you're bored enough to be reading this, you're bored enough to do this for me : http://kevan.org/johari?name=Sousuke.

end of hell week(s)..

2006-02-19T23:33:00.000+08:00

..and the beginnings of a 4-day break.

Stewpig tests.

Argh.

The red mist lifts

2006-02-09T22:34:00.000+08:00

The 'winners' walk away, knowing that they have a hollow victory in hand.

It is one thing to show gamesmanship, but showing favouritism? Similan...

I shall not continue, lest I sound like a sore loser.

I don't give a damn anymore.

Life will go on, then wash, lather, rinse and repeat.

Of Cúchulainn and berserkers

2006-02-03T22:41:00.000+08:00

More info available on Wikipedia.

5 of life's simple pleasures

2006-02-03T00:28:00.000+08:00

1. Sleeping in on a rainy morning.

2. Driving with great music blasting, windows wound down.

3. Watching TV with a Ben & Jerry's [insert flavour here].

4. Eating nice chocolate.

5. Lying on an open field, and watch the clouds float by.

Totally random quote of the day:

2006-01-30T23:37:00.000+08:00

"Don't be so open minded that your brains fall out."

Chinese New Year Festivities

2006-01-28T03:09:00.000+08:00

Very tiring stuff.

I'm aching all my back, arms.. and I haven't even started on my tutorials.

Looks like a rather gloomy CNY holiday ahead for me.. x_x

random ramblings.

2006-01-22T23:09:00.000+08:00

I want to say the things that I've been wanting to say.

It's just..a little too weird to bring up in a conversation.

Why can't I be honest with myself, and stop misleading others with the things I do, and the things I say?

I don't intentionally mislead people. But I guess, some things are just too hard to tell, and others are simply due to different interpretations from different perspectives.

I still don't know. I don't know what I want anymore.

random crap. not very interesting.

2006-01-16T23:15:00.000+08:00

9 more days to CNY.

8 Water Polo training sessions

7 is one of my favourite numbers, after 11.

6 days of lessons a week

5 for CAP

4 guys in the lectures everyday. Every weekday, at least.

3km of swimming should kill me tommorrow evening.

2 more weeks to IVP Water Polo.

1 chance to beat SMU this year.

Sometimes I wonder why I want to put myself through this... and then I remember, I never really always know what the heck I'm doing anyway.

Subtleness

2006-01-15T01:44:00.000+08:00

Subtle: So slight as to be difficult to detect or describe; elusive.

-----------

The use of subtleness in relationships is a rather delicate matter: too little, you risk being exposed; too much, and you risk your efforts passed by unnoticed altogether.

By treading lightly with it, one can help to diffuse (or to avoid altogether completely) awkward situations that can rock the boat in relationships, or completely wreak a friendship.

Herein lies the problem: If your intentions are not properly understood, nothing will ever happen, nor will one gain better understanding of the situation, just confusion among all parties involved.

The risk factor is hence called in; to take a bigger risk (potentially friendship-wreaking) and hope that the move succeeds, or to take a smaller risk (definitely preserve the status quo, at the very least) but have your efforts unnoticed?

When talking about Risk, I always remember this:

-----------

To laugh is to risk appearing like a fool

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental

To reach out for another is to risk invlovement

To expose feelings is to risk rejection

To place your dreams before the crowd is to risk ridicule

To love is to risk not being loved in return

To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure

But risk must be taken, because the greatest harzard in life is to risk nothing

The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing

He may avoid sufferings and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.

Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave

Only a person who takes risks is free

-----------

Now that I've come up with all these, I wonder what the heck this is going. Maybe you're interested in whether I tend towards the subtle (and safe) side, or the painfully obvious..

The day I got the finger from another driver.

2006-01-15T00:34:00.000+08:00

I was driving my van.. perhaps a little fast, but nothing unusual for those who know me.

It turns out that this guy in a red Vios tried to overtake me from the left from the traffic light, but didn't manage to as I was driving quite fast.. but it was at the next traffic light that I noticed him pulling up beside me (and staring).

I didn't want to start any fights, so I just carried on enjoying T.M. Revolution playing in my van. Hey, I like to drive fast, but I'm not going to risk my license or van playing around like that.

When the lights went green, I just carried on as usual. But apparently this guy really wanted to overtake me, and blasted off... straight into the back of a slow moving bus.

By this time I imagine he must be really pissed off or something..

As I was U-turning at the next junction, I caught a look at his face.. and was promptly greeted with the finger as he drove on. He must have noticed the smirk on my face.. but couldn't have possibly seen my laughing face as I carried on towards my destination.

A day of some decisions

2006-01-14T01:47:00.000+08:00

I decided not to continue swim coaching.

Not that I didn't like it or anything. I liked playing around..., er, I mean, coaching the kids, but I just wanted the extra time to myself, to pursue other interests and rest, plus pioritize my studies for Goal #1.

There were 2 kids, but the little girl didn't like the change in coaches (from me to someone else) and decided to pull out of the classes instead. The parent concerned actually ask if I wanted to do freelance coaching, but that would be against my ethics and conscience..

Maybe I was just being stupid, eh?

Oh well.

Don't know.

2006-01-12T01:28:00.000+08:00

Posting this topic right after the previous one seems a little.. well, indicative that I would drop the goals like a rock in the water, but it's simply a topic that was thrown out by Geraldine when I asked for a topic. =P

It used to be that "don't know" was a convenient answer for dodging things that I didn't feel like answering. Or didn't want to answer.

Val absolutely hated that answer. Haha.. It's really the all-purpose, anytime-usable answer to all questions.

Incidentally, or perhaps not surprisingly, "don't know" was part of the reason why we went our different ways after 5 years.

You know there's a problem when your girlfriend asks you why you like her, and after that amount of time still can't figure out an answer...

Lately, however, it has become a genuine answer to too many questions. Like what I really want to do in the future. What I really want to do now. And too many math questions too. =P

I don't know. I don't really know. I really don't know.

So when will I ever know?

A list of goals.

2006-01-11T23:54:00.000+08:00

Not exactly as part of New Year Resolutions, which are famous for never being acted upon and never achieved.

Hence begins the list of goals to achieve for this academic half year:

1. Cumulative Average Point of 5.0 - In order to achieve a CAP of 4.0 by the end of this semester. Should give an indication of my previous semester's results..

2. No missing 8/9am early morning Maths lectures. This will be one of the toughies.

3. Maths, Maths and more Maths - Time to pay back for not doing any of the tutorials the previous semester.

4. Moderation of diet - They say dieting doesn't work anymore, but running 10km a day will not burn off the calories from eating all-you-can-eat buffets all the time.

That's the end of the list, I guess. Probably more will be added later on for 2-3 year goals, and beyond.

A change in location

2006-01-05T23:43:00.000+08:00

I changed the blog address on a whim.

Well, not really, actually I've been thinking about it for sometime.. marksman_zx has been my nick online since I've known the World Wide Web, from my first email address (which is still being used mainly for MSN) to irc, gaming, among other nicks and user accounts.

Using it for my blog, however, has started to feel a little off, so I decided to change it to something that would perhaps reflect the nature of the blog a bit better.

So there.

Also, I can find out who actually reads it. :P Since I'd know the moment people ask what happened to my blog. A little counter-voyeurism there, heh.

Looks like you can even fake a blog post now.

2005-12-28T02:13:00.000+08:00

Interesting piece of work, whoever that came up with this:

Instant Blog Post Generator

What's this world coming to?

Do we now need to continuously blog, and keep updating it simply for the sake of it?

Yes, blogs give the aspiring writers out there (perhaps, me included.. I'm not about to deny that) a chance to show off their writing skills and practice, et cetera.. but this is simply a peer pressure sort of thing: everyone else's doing it, maybe I should too.

Blogs are overrated.

At the end of the day, it's just a collection of random thoughs, periodic musings and constant bitching about life, put in the public domain to be read and spread.. like what this post is.

I'm not sure why I feel this way.

2005-12-23T02:16:00.000+08:00

I guess, I shouldn't be such a voyeur and read too many people's blogs.

Some things that I read about tend to be highly depressing shit.. They're not intentionally that way, I guess, but it affects me in that way.

Maybe I'm falling into the trap of reading too much into a typewritten form of communication, as I've been told before.

Sometimes I want to tell these people: "It's over. Get a move on."

Because time doesn't wait for anyone.

Because your tears won't reach the one you most want it to.

Because.. regrets only pull you back into the prison of your past, loading on your back enough baggage to break it, and blinds you from the doors that opened as you were closing the one behind you.

It's good to cry it out sometimes, but it shouldn't be happening too often, nor so long after..

Or I may be inhuman, since I don't cry. Not since a time which I cannot even remember.

We can always hold all memories dear.. but that's all they are: fragments of our past, a testament to the events that happened, an intangible piece of our minds that reminds us where we have been, and where we are and where we are going.

いろいろな事。。

2005-12-16T00:47:00.000+08:00

Somehow, I don't have the same sorta enthusiasm to keep writing this blog anymore..

It's not like I have nothing to say, just that there is a lack of conviction to put it down in words.

Or maybe I should limit my posts to one-liners like this, since my normal trains of thoughts run that way anyway.

Ah well.

Perth.. is a pretty nice place... I think that's all I can say for now. The 'racial' violence going on and stuff.. it's not something that I experienced at all (fortunately, or perhaps not..), so I can't say for that too. Nor did I have any issues with people who had problems with the hanging of the Australian citizen in Singapore. So.. I should say, most (at least those I've met) Australians seem to be rather reasonable people.

Oops, did I just exceed my one-line limit?

Inaugural Indian Rim Asian University Games in Perth, Western Australia

2005-12-08T23:59:00.000+08:00

Overall 3rd in the competition, the NUS-SMU water polo team lost out to the University of Western Australia and WITS (a South African varsity).

Ah well. This might mark the beginning of the end of my competitive water polo participation. Unless there is a decent IVP going on, at least. Having played for so long, I haven't yet thought of what I would do if I stopped playing.

Anyway, this Games had teams from Singapore, South Africa, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia (I think), China, India and maybe some others. Next one's in 2007, though I'm not entirely sure if I will have the time to come again. Maybe I'd do it all over again just for a cheap airfare =P

Pre-Perth musings

2005-11-27T20:16:00.000+08:00

2 hours before I leave my house for the airport, to fly off to a place not-so-unknown: Perth, Western Australia.

For a water polo competition, at the Inaugural Indian Rim Asian University Games.

Well, I'm not even quite sure why I'm going there, except to play some games and try not to lose badly or something.. and perhaps try to avoid getting lynched by those protesting against the death sentence for that guy (it's bad enough being Singaporean, and now we have this..).

Well, in any case, I won't be back in Singland till the December 8th.

Till then, have fun!

Post exam euphoria.

2005-11-25T21:59:00.000+08:00

After a 2-month hiatus, I mannaged to get myself back here to do something to this badly neglected blog of mine. As a result, some thoughts end up being lost to bad memory, but I guess it's not really a big deal (not to me, anyway).

Exams were bad. I think that's all I'll talk about the actual exams. Don't really want to spoil the post-examination euphoria that one breaks out in and fizzles out equally quickly after that.

I'm beginning to perhaps, regret some of the many uninformed choices that I made in the past. That feeling manifested itself over a comparatively torrid first semester, which I guess I didn't attain the goals that informally set for myself.. things that I thought I wanted, then realised they didn't mean that much to me, things that took a lot more effort than I'd hoped (as usual, the laziness..) and things I realised, I would possibly never attain.

Maybe it's just an adjustment problem, and I should change my expectations to suit my current situation more. Would that be accepting the status quo, and being the usual pragmatic Singaporean that is expected of us, or should I work towards changing my environment, to suit me instead, i.e. to take the idealistic path?

It might be an oversimplication of problem in this sense, but it seems to be the best way I can put it in words for now..

On another facet, after doing a number of projects that required me to do some research on the Singapore blogging community (blogosphere, if you must), I read a number of interesting things.. among them, this blog: SingaporeSerf.

Granted, I do share some of his sentiments. I'd always wanted to live abroad, not necessarily because of the kind of alienation that this guy writes about, but because I want to live in a place where I could experience the 4 seasons (and not die of heatstroke daily). Where you don't see highrise structures almost everywhere you go, where you can see the wonders of nature that is not destructively intruded upon.

Then again, it might be due to my affinity for things Japanese..

That's all for now.. Until the next time I find inspiration (or reason).

a one week break... my ass.

2005-09-18T23:46:00.000+08:00

Week 7. Supposedly named the Mid-Sem Break. I think it's more like misc work week, where you take the time to catch up on all the things you've been procrastinating on (like me) or do even more studying (like.. eh, I don't think I need to elaborate here).

Much has happened since school's started.. obviously, after a stagnantation of 2.5 years, it's feels totally busy. So busy I haven't talked to some of my most important friends, to the point where they actually felt neglected.

Sigh.. it's not like I can help it at times.. And sometimes, it's about you, even if you don't realise it. I have my own life too, I have my own troubles too. It's not simply what you need to have done. Your piorities do not quite concern me; I know and acknowledge them, but simply put it's really up to you to settle things in your own life, not me. Don't ask me to run your errands like a slave. Don't expect me to forgo classes because you need something delivered somewhere, sometime.

Sometimes I just want to be left alone in the midst of all the chaos. And then I remember again, why I'm never really gregarious.