Existence beyond contemplation

2008-10-07T23:45:00.002+08:00

I saw Huang Wen Yong's acting in the cop show at 9pm this evening.. when he realised that his wife was long dead, and he was hallucinating about her presence.. his crying touched me quite abit.

For couples who have been together through friendship, courtship, marriage, watching the children grow up.. many years together.. to lose their partners at a point in life.. is heart wrenching..

I always remember how my grandma cried when my grandpa passed away suddenly.. they have been together for more than 30-40 years, my grandma was really sad and kept repeating that my grandpa did not have a chance to experience the better times in life together.. they had suffered through WW2 (where my grandpa was one of those almost killed by the japs), a traffic accident (grandpa on bicycle) and a number of other things together..

My grandma used to love to chat with my grandpa as she is cooking dinner and he was in the shower.. that scene is deeply etched in my heart, which i now understand as love showing itself in a subtle way..

A time will come when it is my turn to go. My only wish then is for my children to be with her, to comfort her and hold her close.

2008-09-21T16:32:00.002+08:00

This is what I do. Major thing for us to have this image featured so big on the papers.

Truthfully, when I get really demoralized about progression, it is things like this that gets me excited all over again. Nevertheless, I am aware that these excitments cannot provide for many of the other needs I want.

That's working life I guess, a trade off between passion and material rewards...

Sometimes, I do feel that not everyone where I work share the same excitment as me when things like these happen as well..

2008-07-22T23:48:00.002+08:00

My guess is that my time is up

I have been enjoying what i do everyday, getting a high when special events happen as a result of my work. But i am really in need of a clear path on which i can continue to develop. I worry that I have stagnated and no longer learning. I need the next phase right now.

Friends who have choosen the safe path are progressing very well, even though i am confident i would not have taken that same path as them, I do wonder if I would have been happier with the financial rewards that come with that.

I love my work, but I guess as each day becomes the same, its time for me to move.

I hope that day where a change is possible, comes soon. I will leave a lasting and welcomed legacy for my current workplace, please grant me the strenght to be patient.

2008-06-11T08:29:00.001+08:00

There's this grown tree right where every morning i wait for my bus to work. My guess is that it has been there for years, since my estate was being built.. around 20 years now..
Around the end of every year, it will go through a shedding process where its leaves will all turn yellow and start to drop.. i used to avoid the tree during that season as the dropped leaves will very much fall onto and get stuck on my gatsby-waxed hair..
Wierdly, a few months ago, during a particularly dry spell.. the tree started shedding out of schedule.. on mornings i wait for the bus, i realise that the whole floor was filled with the small yellow leaves...

My first thought was that the tree was going to die..a disease infection perhaps? The other trees next to it was doing fine and were not shedding at all..

I took a look at the tree again today.. it was lusciously green and look as dense as the hair on a teenage boy's head.. swaying in unison with the wind (i just love the rustle of leaves in strong winds)

Our big friend has gone through the bad bout by shedding and preserving the most important part of itself in order to grow stronger. What it shed also helped itself by fertilizing the ground on which it stands. Although it went through a point where all seems very bleak (at least to me), our big friend moved to help itself.. That's a lesson for me to learn.. particularly at this point in life.

I will still stand below that tree every morning, hoping to learn the next lessons in life.

2007-07-11T10:40:00.001+08:00

You are The Magician

Skill, wisdom, adaptation. Craft, cunning, depending on dignity.

Eleoquent and charismatic both verbally and in writing,
you are clever, witty, inventive and persuasive.

The Magician is the male power of creation, creation by willpower and desire. In that ancient sense, it is the ability to make things so just by speaking them aloud. Reflecting this is the fact that the Magician is represented by Mercury. He represents the gift of tongues, a smooth talker, a salesman. Also clever with the slight of hand and a medicine man - either a real doctor or someone trying to sell you snake oil.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

2007-06-29T10:32:00.001+08:00

Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, while deeply immersed in prajna paramita, clearly perceived the empty nature of the five skandhas, and transcended all suffering. Sariputra! Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. So it is with feeling, conception, volition, and consciousness.Sariputra! All dharmas are empty in character; neither arising nor ceasing, neither impure nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing. Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form; there is no feeling, conception, volition, or consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas; no realm of vision, and so forth, up to no realm of mind-consciousness; no ignorance or ending of ignorance, and so forth, up to no aging and death or ending of aging and death. There is no suffering, no cause, no extinction, no path. There is no wisdom and no attainment. There is nothing to be attained. By way of prajna paramita, the bodhisattva's mind is free from hindrances. With no hindrances, there is no fear; freed from all distortion and delusion, ultimate nirvana is reached. By way of prajna paramita, Buddhas of the past, present, and future, attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Therefore, prajna paramita is the great powerful mantra, the great enlightening mantra, the supreme and peerless mantra. It can remove all suffering. This is the truth beyond all doubt. And the prajna paramita mantra is spoken thus:
Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha

2007-05-16T10:59:00.000+08:00

2007-02-12T08:38:00.000+08:00

百世修来同船渡，千载修得共枕眠

What a phrase

2007-01-12T00:14:00.000+08:00

Students are a special breed of people,especially undergrads. The most vocal and the most creative are usually involved in the Student Unions of their universities while the really smart ones don't even join it.

I spotted this on the floor of the building where I work. Notice the Irony?

Image taken from a Nokia 6288.. the new phone to replace my 6828.

2007-01-02T11:50:00.000+08:00

I am actually quite affected by the things that are going on in Bangkok.. which happens to be one of my favourite place in the world... Sent a chill down my spine when I saw the full list of affected places on ST this morning..

Place number 7 on straits time's list today, the seafood restaurant.. was where my mom, bro and me went for dinner during our recent trip there.. right beside our hotel.. Nice little quiet place, but.. now.. it shall forever have a memory of terror etched on it..

Asia Hotel and Lumpini, are 2 places I have been 2 a couple of times.. well.. all I can say is.. Bangkok will never been the same again..

2006-12-28T20:27:00.000+08:00

Don't know why, but I suddenly have the want to pay a little tribute to the superwomen of my life. For all these years, they have been playing and will continue to play a big part in my growth, change and maturity

1. My late maternal grandmother
Tears still swell when I think of her. My greatest regret in life is not being able to be nicer to her when I was young. When I started knowing how precious my ah-ma was to me, she was gone. For 17 years, she was the only source of support for my family through the lean and bad times, also without her disciplining, i don't think I would have made it to where I am today.
In the very last years of her life, she was bed-ridden, but yet showed very much that my younger brother and me were important to her. We rushed to the hospital to see the very last of her, but we did not make it in time.
My Ah-ma also taught me the basics of cooking, out of necessity due to her physical limitations.
Ah-ma, wherever you are, may you have happiness.

2. My mother.
She IS a super woman.

3. My little girl
For the time I have been with her, life has completely changed. She's going through a huge transition in her work, aiming to become a super woman in the same league as my mom. I will prepare enough and more for the path we are going to walk together.

2006-11-19T02:11:00.000+08:00

Some of the pics of where i went for the work trip. Quite amazed that after all that good food, including the 1kg pot of mussel and fries, i didnt get fat.

2006-10-18T09:14:00.000+08:00

Next was Nami Island. Damn nice place... long straight trees.. luckily don't have non-smoking, no littering, please do not leave your belongings unattended signs.

Dinner was self service for everyone. Here you see an emu aiming for a particular part of that man.. that's the ostrich's dinner.

These emus have no chance, cos they were OUR dinner. with black pepper on hot plate, yummy.

Due to the water pollution, this lady turned into brone. Bikini and all corroded.

2006-10-18T09:08:00.000+08:00

Think it pays to be evil right? The true baddie never turns old. In the drama, it is said that she jumped off a cliff. Turns out that it is just a cover for her defecting to Ming dynasty. She's an MIA (Ming Intelligence Agency) agent in disguise. Trying to kop some ginseng back for the emperor. She apprarently was successful in finding the elixr of life, too bad it was only enough for 1 portion.

THey have been out in the sun since Chang Jin days.
North was apparently aiming at these 2 boards with the missile tests.
Da Chang Jin hotpot. Cabbage, bean sprouts, hot dog, ham, cabbagge, bean sprout, hot dog, ham, cabbage, bean sprout, hot dog, ham, chilli. So much fibre, why did gold get stuck in their butts?

2006-10-18T08:58:00.000+08:00

Back from the land of the colonic gold (da chang jin). Must say i realised the true answer why they have gold in their asses... COS THE THINGS ARE REALLY EXPENSIVE siah.. imagine the blue thingy i had below x 2 plus a tea for sharing cost SGD$10! Best of all, the wrapper for this little blue thingy is made in Singapore.. my first meal in Incheon airport really killed off any early holiday mood
We next went to the Dajanguem theme park. See the 2 signboards below at the main entrance? Rumour has it that Da Chang Jin became abit more bah after being out of job, Min zhen hao moved the board away from her to give her more space, that is why there's a gap between them. Please remember that during those times, there was no Lainege or Face shop or skin food...

Han Shang gong, when she was tortured, left her blue and white bag behind on the chair, it apparently contains makeup.

Posing with the dau you and jeoh cheng of korea. Little Chang Jin's good friend was hidden in one of them.. that was her fate after losing a hop-skotch game

2006-09-26T15:48:00.000+08:00

postBody

2006-09-26T14:18:00.000+08:00

Now that Singapore Idle is finally over, unemployed Hardy Moozah can finally get a proper job.

According to sources, Hardy has signed a 3 year recording contract with a recording company based in Fiji. The details of this contract are not made public but it is believed that Hardy will record a album in his first year and be made a Wayang Kulit artiste in Timor Leste in his 2nd year. Company officials have previously said that Hardy may be also shuttling between Sierra Leon and Somalia in his 3rd year, depending on his album sales. The company may plan to return him to his preferred unemployed status after 3 years.

When asked, Hardy was enthusiastic about this development, claiming that he would love to see the world, and how the children of the countries lived. ‘Since young, I had been wearing my sarong and running around the HDB playground’ Hardy said ‘I think its time for me to go and think of opportunities in these countries, like how to perform in all their playgrounds, maybe upgrade it even’

Besides this recording contract, Hardy is also expected to receive multiple product endorsement requests, as what the former Singapore Idler Taupok has done and is now idling. Stay tuned to our post-event coverage of Singapore Idler.

2006-09-13T09:08:00.000+08:00

Signature pork ribs... tender with plenty of nice fatty bits
Creme Brulee.. the centre was nicely caramelized but the sides.. were almost not flamed at all

2006-09-13T09:00:00.000+08:00

Had dinner with a bunch of collegues at Tao's. Must say that although the food was at best above average (my expectations are high after Ember), the service was impeccable. Our group was originally 12, but due to the increased flight schedules (put aeroplane), only 5 turned up. We were given a room, and were so pai seh that we told one of the guys there that he could change us to the main dining area if necessary. That guy (Irwin) said that he would not mind us staying in the room since we already booked it.

The most amazing thing about Tao's is the crew are all immensely friendly, makes dining at the price that we are paying enjoyable for once. At alot of other places, for the price that we paid, we would have most likely gotten plates placed with a loud "thud" on the table.
Here are some pics.

Ham and Cheese and Mushroom Gratin served in a non-stick pan.. Tefal man Jamie Oliver would be proud. Eaten with thick toast..

Some forgettable Italian salad thingy..

Nice fruit salad..

Chicken Salad with pickles

2006-09-07T09:42:00.000+08:00

Bad hair days are here to stay
Do I look good or what.. see my chin, clean shaven leh
NB, go bird park never bring me.. stupid himbotic parrot..

2006-09-07T09:39:00.000+08:00

Kissing in public, thousands of other Lorries around them
Kua Simi?
This is one Big Jiao
Dinner

2006-08-22T17:39:00.000+08:00

I AM GOING TO BOYCOTT KPT

COS THEY ARE ONLY ALLOWING PAYMENT BY STORED VALUE CARDS

2006-08-21T09:16:00.000+08:00

FOODIE WEEKEND

Friday - Johor Seafood
Went to Johor for seafood with the bunch of EIers. Ordered 7 crabs, 1 grouper, 1 plate of butter prawns, small bamboo clams, small la la, fried sotong, kailan, kangkong, nice fried rice.. washed down with bottled coke. Must say the size of the crabs are no where near that of Macpherson's Jackson KPT, but the sauce is definitely different in a wonderful sort of way.. I especially liked the texture of the bamboo clams. Each of us paid about 20sing..cheap right? We then took a 40 minute drive to the causeway which ended up with us being stuck there for 15mins.. ended up taking the same 40 mins path back to the 2nd link.

Saturday
Went with Darling to Padang for movies at the padang by class 95.. I was initially apprehensive about going because i HATE mosquites which bite at night.. you can hear them but you can never see them.. Wanna whack also cannot find. Darling wanna go for the movies, so we sort of last minute decided to buy food from raffles city and brought them there... together with the essential copy of wanbao to sit on.

Chicken with asparagus pie, from one shop that sells pies only.. NOT GOOD.. smells nice, but there was only 1 stem of asparagus and the chicken was quite tough..

Takoyaki, apparently, daling claims that those from the stall are better than that of the Takopachi brand..

Taokay Noi seaweed. Nice brand which we discovered at Bee Cheng Hiang.. Spicy and crunchy snack.. but it may be too much MSG for some other ppl to take..

Sunday - JB!

Went to JB with Darling, yet another last minute thing.. City Square's Nanting Restaurant was our lunch spot.. and pictures are attached below.. the Xia Jiao was disappointing.. think some supermarket varieties are much better..the fried beancurd skin with filling in sweet and sour sauce was ok.. But the chicken leg was defintely good.. Washed down with a glass of mango juice.. Darling had the Wanton Mee.. like no taste like that leh.. she says.. seems not up to the mark of normal Malaysian Wanton Mee..

2006-08-14T13:49:00.000+08:00

Went to Sun with Moon Japanese Dining on friday with the Uni gang, ordered quite a number of things and I must say that the cooking there is really not too bad. The food is easily one of the best Jap ones I had tried in Singapore, in the league of Waraku. Decor wise, must say that it is as cozy as it could get as we were put in a VIP room due to our long wait.

One point to note, do not order the fish soup simmered with summer vegetables dish if you are looking for a healthy broth with white chunks of fish.. it is actually summer vegetables simmered with fish soup (no fish!).. When the waitress sent the dish to us, I actually told her that we did not order it, until she showed me the menu and said what I order was actually what was serve.. maciam like the morning glory with ikan billis my granny used to cook.. the pic of that dish is on the upper right hand corner...

2006-07-28T08:58:00.000+08:00

After having a bad experience at Marina Square's Xing Wang Cafe, we decided to give it another try, this time to the one at Kovan which we frequent pretty often.
Originally, wanted to eat the Nam Sing coffeeshop's fried hokkien mee, but darling wanted the cafe, so go lor..

French toast with butter and honey. I wanted to try the condensed milk thick toast, but realised that that was not a french toast version
7 small wantons for 3.90.. amazing...
So called Macau Fried Noodles, its actually a maggi goreng without chilli but with luncheon meat..

There was one more plate of ham and eggs, but darling refused to let me snap...

How's the picture quality? Taken with an Ipaq

2006-07-26T14:01:00.000+08:00

Some memories from my days at Kim Seng

2006-07-19T14:32:00.000+08:00

Testing

2006-07-19T14:22:00.000+08:00

I didnt know that Picasa could publish directly onto my blog.. here I am trying it out... haha

2006-05-30T23:22:00.000+08:00

Image of a man rumaging through his ruined house over Channel U struck me hard.

That man, from Bantul, Indonesia, had his house completely destroyed by the Earthquake. He told the reporter that he was searching for some money that he had kept, "It was not alot, but it will come in handy".

His face was one of resignation and dispair, it was that of a man who has lost everything he once had.

I wonder how I will be if I was in his shoes.

Sabbe satta sada hontu avera sukhajivino

May all beings be free from enmity , and live a happy life forever.

katam punnaphalam mayham sabbe bagi bhavantu te

May they all receive the same merits. that I have accumulated.

2006-05-21T23:52:00.000+08:00

Wat Po, Temple of the sleeping Buddha-Bangkok. It is actually an image of Buddha in his last moments, before attaining Nibbana.

Wall pictures and marble floor within Wat Phra Kaew, Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Please flip your computer screen 90 degrees to the left

Birkenstock eating up a Bata brand sandal, taken onboard a 3K512.

2006-05-10T22:25:00.000+08:00

The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.

Bangkok

2006-04-25T23:52:00.000+08:00

Hokkien mee, my source of comfort

There are 3 stalls selling Hokkien Mee which I very often visit since young. Apparently, according to my mom, i had been wanting to eat fried hokkien mee even before i was born, and she would crave for hokkien mee from the Kovan Nam Sing coffeeshop all the time.

Now, Hokkien mee is the ultimate comfort food for me. I eat alot of it during examinations, when I am chilling out with friends at hawker centers over a few beers, and when I go for very much cherished dinners with my mom (which is seldom cos of our busy work).

1. Nam Sing Hokkien Mee, at Old Airport Road.
Tried this only when I used to frequent the area from 1998-2002. Only recently did I hear rumours that it is the original fellow who used to fry at location (2) below. If it really were the original fella at location (2), then it was the one that I ate alot of as a pre-born, through my mom. Thin Bee Hoon variety, with cut chilli padi and sambal. This is by far one of the best I have tried in Singapore. It also helps that this hawker centre also houses Singapore's best rojak stall and wanton mee.

2. Nam Sing Coffeeshop, next to Kovan MRT
When the original moved out, someone else probably moved in. I frequent this place now cos it is in a pretty convenient dinner location. Style of frying is similar to (1), but i find it a tad undercooked and it may not be as piping hot as (1) when served. The reason for the lack of warmth is still unknown, but it has probably something to do with the material used for cutlery bah. The best part of this place, is however, not the hokkien mee, BUT, the TO DIE FOR BBQ chicken wings and super crispy(oily) fried oysters. Sweet honeyed chicken wings are BBQed on the same appratus as their satay.. think they used a similar seasoning as well..

3. Woodland Hawker Centre Hokkien mee.
Opposite the dessert stall, at the extreme end of the 2nd last row.
If i feel down, this is the place i would go. Would stand there and daze for 15 mins while in queue, just watching the skinny uncle fry the hokkien mee makes my tastebuds anticipate the flavours to come. Thick Bee Hoon variety. Dripping wet with rich prawn stock and lots and lots of Garlic. I get extra noodles when I buy from there as I have been a loyal customer for years :)

2006-04-25T01:14:00.000+08:00

2006-04-18T00:13:00.000+08:00

My own experience with snails and other slow moving individuals.

There's this little stretch of road right outside my office, its flanked by a huge patch of grass, snails very often crawl out from the grass patch and dry themselves immediately after a rainstorm. As rainstorms have been happening rather frequently, there have been alot of snails crawling onto the paths where people walk.

One night, as I was walking home, I heard a loud crack underneath my shoes. Sounds like that of a crackled leaf or a very thin seashell being broken under my weight. When I looked back at what I had stepped on, I realised that it was a juvenile snail, about the size of a 50cents coin. I said a little blessing for the soul of the snail, asked it for its forgiveness, and I continued my way to the bus stop to catch a weary bus back home.

From that incident, I started to watch where I stepped on everynight.

Sometimes, in this very busy world of ours, we are only concerned with walking our own way and walking it fast. Perhaps we care about those people around us who matter and make themselves big enough for us to be concerned with. These people are moving at the same speed as us, heading towards their own direction.

However, beneath the level at which we walk, there are many people living a little slower, with their own burdens (snail shell) carried on their backs. They have their own objectives, but due to their small significance and slower nature, they are very often unable to show their worries and wants, and make us take notice of them. Very often, although we do not really mean it, we crush these individuals with our behaviors and our actions, hurting the person badly, and perhaps never be able to revive the person emotionally and physically again. Just like the snail which I crushed.

Look around you, are there people who you wished you had taken care of more? Starting with your family members, are there anyone whom you did not really treasure and could there have been something that you have done which brinked on crushing them? These people may not be moving as fast as you wish to move, and their emotional imprint on you may just be as small as a juvenile snail. When you walk/talk your path of life, do you slow down and watch/hear where/what you are walking/talking to avoid crushing/hurting on these individuals?

Chinese have one saying, "The tree wishes to stop but the wind doesn't, the child wishes to care but the kin is not there anymore". That is my ultimate regret.

2006-03-11T10:14:00.000+08:00

Which business school is best represented by X?

2005-11-08T11:16:00.000+08:00

Been a long time since i last posted anything on my blog... From now on.. shall probably use this blog to write abt food

Seriously.. i think i am losing my "used to be 31 inch" waistline

2005-08-10T12:42:00.000+08:00

Wow.. been a long time since i had last blogged.. since then.. i had discovered that more people than i knew had been reading my blog.. including some of my kiddies at Bedok South Sec.. if you all see this entry.. here's saying HI to all of you!

Few updates on my day off from work today:
1. Work.. been learning quite abit, besides breaking a personal best speed record in typing, i have also a cupboard filled with Nissin Instant Noodles, Khong Guan Biscuits, Cough Drops and Anti-migraine Painkillers. Been stressful.. but what matters most is that i started out with a xiong job.. apparently.. whoever works over in my department can handle any kind of stress anywhere else in the ministry.. haha.. hopefully.

2. Itching for a holiday again. I am looking at Bangkok. Waiting to see when my little darling can go travelling with me.. ahha

3. Graduation, pics are as follows

Associate Prof Shirlena Huang, Head of Department, Department of Geography, NUS

Associate Prof TC Chang, TOURISM lecturer!

Centennial Graduation class of 2005! GEOGRAPHERS

My bunch of friends..

Went to watch NDP with little girl, not at the padang, but outside it.. standing along Funan, saw the Guard of Honour and the Mobile column drive past. Been 5 years since i was at the Padang for NDP, the last time.. i was part of the road marshallers standing along Nicoll Highway.. eh.. but this time round surely beats the last, as the night was rounded off sitting on the grass patch of Parliment House with my little girl watching fireworks.

Caught up with a bunch of friends recently, Desmond, JJ, Weinian, Adrian from SAS. Been 10 years since we knew each other.. all grown up liao leh.. with nice careers and cars (One Nissan Skyline and one Mitsubitshi Lancer). Still remember that when we were in sec 3.. we did crazy things.. like powder based fire extinguishers into classrooms.. turning it white etc etc.. Now.. the craziest things we do are to eat supper late at night.. boring right? So.. Kids.. enjoy ur youth while you can (NO, i am not telling you to destroy your school property ah!). Most importantly, caught up with Mr Puono.. realli hope he's doing on fine.

My little girl started work too.. doing programme management, been quite stressful for her.. but promised her and myself that i'll be there to support her all the way.

Damnit, realised that the Coralinis launch by HDB was right outside Pungool MRT(Abit far, but got grant!) . Missed it. Nevermind.. shall wait for the next one.

2005-07-15T13:11:00.000+08:00

Oh boy, now stuck in reservist trying to blog during my lunch time, at a "Business Centre"
I have momentarily ended my 18 years of formal education.
Yesterday was my commencement, lots of things going on in my head as i walked through the doors of UCC towards my Q6 seat (incidentally, Huiling is N6.. talking about taking the same path in life! haha).
Will blog more when i get the time and energy to do so, perhaps 23rd of July.
Just a very simple thought i have here.. I am just glad that my little girl and me were able to be at the commencement together.. I just hope that fate will allow us to go up the future steps of life together.

2005-06-11T11:57:00.000+08:00

Havent posted anything here for a long long time.. is this interesting enough?

Straight from the streetside hawkers of Penang

Come on, give me my extra cockles

2005-05-15T23:36:00.000+08:00

Realised i havent been posting on my blog for quite some time now.. haha..been enjoying my free days as a post-school, pre-work life.
From my last posting, i'm finally employed.. starting work on the 24th, i hope it will be an interesting job for me.
Been spending quite alot of time with my little girl, who has been absolutely fantastic in making me feel splendid everytime we meet up, including 2 x beach, numberous lunches, dinner plus a plate of damn good char kway teow with tons of pork lard. Really worried that she will feel upset when i work, as i would be spending abit less time with her...

And, I'll be away this week, at a highly secret location on an ops missions (some to the northeast of Hong Kong, and to the Southwest of Japan). Will out up a photo essay when i get back. Haha..

2005-05-06T00:19:00.000+08:00

I think i'm getting pre-exam anxiety..
But it has nothing to do with the paper i'm taking tomorrow.. its more to do with the job i'm taking up.
After i said i taking it up, they till now havent gotten back to me.. how do i make sense of it? Sigh.
These days.. i seem to be blogging alot about work, but i simply cannot take my mind off these stuff even while studying for examinations.
I really do not know what to do if my ship capsizes in the drain. I have already stopped sending further applications.. and am banking on the success of this one.. sigh..
How do i make sense of it?

2005-05-05T14:21:00.000+08:00

Well.. ST printed the letter that i sent in.. but it has been heavily edited to make it sound simpler and more easy to read.. now it becomes totally unlike the way i write... haha.. but its ok.. as long as the point gets across.

Anyway.. my mind is still on the Ministry job.. though they called me last friday about it.. they haven't called me yet this week.. i really wonder why.. are they really that busy.. sigh

2005-05-03T23:17:00.000+08:00

Mushy right? That's the way i like it.. cos she is and will always be the most adorable little girl in my life..

2005-04-30T16:15:00.000+08:00

I sent this in to Straits Times forum, but it didnt get accepted.. so.. am putting it here for my blog readers to read.. some of it may seem familiar.. yah.. taken out of what i said previously here.. haha
Hope it generates some buzz! Comments please
___________________________________________________________________

I read with interest Mr Ong’s comments on the Ministry of Education’s decision to have new graduates go on a 4 week teaching stint (ST, 28th April 2005). Though I see his rationale of care for his grandchildren, I would like to offer a consideration of several wider variables rather than an absolute rejection of the move.

MOE’s interviewing process causes headaches for many interviewees, as many of my friends who have gone through the process have related to me. Trained interviewers and senior officers within the education service will grill and sieve through thousands of applications to only tap on those who have best proven themselves in academic or character achievements. It is thus not to say that all who apply will be allowed to embark on the 4-week exposure programme, but only the very best of the interviewees.

One also needs to see the other side of the picture when deciding whether the 4-week stint would be a good thing. I suspect many graduates who are heading into the teaching service currently do not know their direction and life goal, and leave after 3 years of service with the school. Would it not be a greater waste of resources and a bigger impact on the student population, if such teachers instructs without the motivation, skills and yearn to change lives?

There could perhaps also be a substantial group of graduates who go into teaching as a first job because of the hassle involved in the career hunting process or even merely being attracted to the relatively good remuneration package. Such a group of people are precisely those who do not know what being a teacher entails and are often those who leave their schools after their bonds, or even break their bonds during their practicum training in the National Institute of Education. Such a group of teachers create a much bigger mess than any which could have come from the 4-week exposure period.

I have been told on numerous occassions that “Teaching is a calling” and not only a career. Ask me why i not taking up teaching despite my impending graduation with Honours in Geography and having served numerous schools for 10 years as a volunteer adult leader in co-curricular activities? I will tell you that I am not good enough to make children grow up to get what they fully deserve.

Teachers have a strong responsibility, with a job to allow those under their charge to realise their full potential in life, rather than just imparting knowledge. Knowledge can be imparted without a teacher, with the help of the internet and some electronic encyclopedia. The teacher moulds them to survive well in society, giving them lifeskills and confidence to face the world. A teacher does all that.

If a 4-week stint can enable the finding of such a calling and life goal for the best brains of a cohort, and to retain them within the service, its value is definitely recognised.

2005-04-29T22:16:00.000+08:00

Been a long while since i posted a photo essay for all to see..
This one's titled "memories within the windy spaces of the chaotic mind".. all the best to all my honours year classmates.. the times we have sat in class for class, lunch, chats and gossips will always be remembered.. no matter where you girls and guys go in life, what we go through in the honours year will always be part of our fond recollections of our lives

From left: Songguang, Yunbing, Liyan, Junfeng (guest star), Xinyi (accelerator!)

Shuxuan, Huifen, Wes, Noel, Dong Mei, Yunci

Clockwise from back: Kavita, Yvonne, Jiani, Ding Rong, Joanna and Beatrice

Noel, Dong Mei, A/p K Raguraman(god of transport geography in Singapore), me

Noel Presenting

Dong Mei Presenting

Me talking cock

The original 7 wonders, the tall yandao in the middle is Yihui

@New Asia bar, Songguang(future director of education, MOE) and me..

Remember this pic.. these 2.. Cai Yunci and Woon Chih Yuan, are the epitomy of un-understandability.. One day.. they will become famous Professors of some big university in the world.. remember, i posted a pic of them together here first!

KTV session.. third guy from left is Tshen, 4th is Tai.. Tshen was a secondary school classmate of mine! so coincidental right?

This is the little black book that i completed.. hoping it can go into the library one day

2005-04-29T19:21:00.000+08:00

i think i worry too much lah.. haha.. as i was posting the last post, the organisation called me, saying their biggest bosses havent gotten back to them.. wait lor.. hahaha
praying hard

2005-04-29T18:09:00.000+08:00

The organisation that said they are taking me hasnt called me yet, although the lady who called on Monday said will call me by this week.. maybe civil service is really slow ya..
Or has my boat realli flipped over in the drain?
Praying hard.

2005-04-25T13:37:00.000+08:00

Woke up to a damn good news!
But will keep silent till further confirmation! haha..
Its something that i've been looking forward to since last october!

2005-04-23T18:06:00.000+08:00

Putting up something i posted on a friend's blog comments for all..

Quote:
Dun fret my dear friend,
Everyone fucks up in life once in a while.. its ok.. as long as u learn your mistake and wear a condom next time.

*ahem*.. nono.. i mean.. learn from mistake and prepare alot alot in advance.. giving urself visual cues or anything to remind you of your work. Its always ok to do something wrong, but when u finish doing it, and u realise it, change how u did it.

(part omitted)

I hope u wont ever become like tt ya? Keep that ideal of wanting to change lives within ur head all time time u teach, and u will definitely enjoy it. I think primary school kids are some of the most easily influenced by their teachers.. because they are at the foundation of their life, and what they learn will translate onto their lives later on. As i always say, wanna be good, its dependent on the primary school.. if wanna become pai kia, sec 2 and 3 are the best years to change.

So, your job is always to mould and re-mould the kids that come under your charge. Who cares about Science anyway.. after they leave Primary school, what they remember is who you are as a person, not your subjects.

You have a tough job to do, no doubt. Bad times will come along the way.. ,making you feel sian and helpless.. BUT you get to be the builder of lives... sometime none of us except in the school (and prison) service can do. I think tts the greatest reward and finished product any job could do.

Teachers have a tough life, but you also get a reward that no one else can get.
Ask me why i not taking teaching up despite being a Geography Honours student? I will tell you i'm not good enough to make children grow up to get what they fully deserve.. Teachers have a strong responsibility, your job is to make them realise their full potential lor.. rather than imparting knowledge. Knowledge can be imparted w/o a teacher, with the help of the internet and some electronic encyclopedia. The teacher moulds them to survive well in society.. giving them lifeskills and confidence to face the world. A teacher does all that.

Till today, i still remember the unreasonable teachers i had in pri school.. insulting me, black marking me forever cos i did something wrong once, beliving in my classmates rather than me, listening to complains abt me rather than letting me explain myself... keeping me in the staff room for 1 whole SEMESTER's recess to write words cos my handwriting bad.. (save the soul of that teacher, Doctors have worse handwriting) I kind of am still sore i had such teachers.. i'll never forget them.. On the other hand, i realli remember fondly those teachers who gave me a chance to prove myself.. praising when the time calls for it, rather than just saying "its just vincent.. nevermind him". I think i'm in part where i am now cos of these teachers who made an impact and made me realise the satisfaction from excellence.

i really hope my best friend wont become a teacher like those idiots who discriminate... so you better think of what kind of impact your little actions will give to the kids as well.

2005-04-22T11:27:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, among all this agony, i realli wonder if i should have taken the easy way out and become a teacher.
Truthfully, i realli think its sian to just not try for other things first
At least i know my market value
Sigh
But the search is agonizing

2005-04-21T02:10:00.000+08:00

Feel a little better after getting the cultural grade back
But tomorrow will be another depressing day.

2005-04-20T20:08:00.000+08:00

I still don't believe i'm not good enough

2005-04-19T17:32:00.000+08:00

I just don't think i'm not good enough.
Why!?

2005-04-19T12:23:00.000+08:00

Woke up to a few depressing things
The place i went for interview last week started calling people up for 2nd round, my friend is one of them.. and i'm not.
I'm bloody pissed at my transport class, tomorrow supposed to have a trip on board an oil tanker and because of this, i had to turn down another interview scheduled for tomorrow.
Till now no news about the trip. I'm gonna make noise if its cancelled again.
Best.

2005-04-17T19:06:00.000+08:00

Woohoo,

Double dates are fun!
yesterday my little girl and me evening met up with Mr Kek and Jan, shop around for their Hi-fi and then went to have coffee at coffee club rendevouz.
Feel so great that little girl can click and talk cock with them so well!! especially when calling me a f**king Eurasian.
Then become triple date, with David and Cindy coming along later to prata at Yio Chu Kang.
I really think we have all grown up, we seem increasingly like people getting ready to get married and bringing their future spouses to supper! hahah.. so nice
Two of my friends have queued up a house at Buangkok, while two others are thinking of getting a private apartment, when will it be my turn to build a love nest with little girl? haha

I want Carribean at Keppel Bay

2005-04-14T20:46:00.000+08:00

14th July marks an important point in my life.
That's the day i graduate.
Its extra meaningful because i'm graduating together with my little girl.
So coincidental that we are at the same session.
Am glad that my little one and me can share our lives
It marks the first step towards sharing the rest of our live with each other

2005-04-13T00:28:00.000+08:00

ABSTRACT

Studies of nation-states have been traditionally done with an implication of the ability of boundaries to absolutely contain place. The recognition of this “territorial trap” within the social sciences led to the growing awareness that boundaries were porous at the same time where places were also theorized to be constituted as articulated nodes within networks and connections with other places. Through the in-depth study of Woodlands Town Centre, a border region in the city-state of Singapore, this thesis aims to propose the notion of “cross-border place”, which accounts for the fluctuating trans-national connections that occur most evidently within border regions. The context of a city-state’s planning ideology is also juxtaposed against such connections, in order to provide the recognition of a (re)constitution of the border region within such a nexus.
Key words: Woodlands, Singapore, Space, Cross-border connections

2005-04-06T21:12:00.000+08:00

Oh, realised i forgot to add..

Going onto JC, and having this identity as a Eurasian brought me lots of funny stuff.
End up, during one car ride on a friend's car, he ended up telling me "what right have u to be XXXX? You are just a f**king Eurasian!"
haha..
That was funny.
Everyone calls me that nowadays..
Wait till she ever become become Mrs Kessler.. think people will be looking forward to a sauve, golden hair ang moh husband.
Too bad, she'll have to settle for a short, fat, highlighted brown hair f**king Eurasian.
;)

2005-04-06T03:09:00.000+08:00

Posting a part of my cultural analysis paper down here, ridiculous right? I'm adopting a very different way of writing for this module, a very personal one when i recognise myself both as a research(er)(ed).
Anyone wants to ask me why is this geographical?

Labelled as an “others” because of my ancestral origins, being born and bred in a “Chinese” centred family leads me to practice traditions that people find surprising when they know of my ethnicity. In fact, my only links with my ancestry, besides my last name, are my passion for “Portuguese” egg tarts and French Bordeaux wine.

I recall a time in primary school, when a dental nurse asked me for the reasons why I had such a wierd surname. That was the first time I had ever come across a question to my ethnic heritage. With a blood-soaked gauze in place of my newly removed tooth, I rang mummy and asked her for the answer to that. According to her, I have such a name because i am a Eurasian. I promptly went back to tell the nurse that.

This only led further to my amusement as to why I am not “Chinese” as with everyone else, who speaks the same language, has the same skin and hair colour as me. I went to ask the rest of my relatives, being called “Serani” and “Mixed Blood” along the way. There was no way for me to understand what being a “Eurasian” was all about. I still remember one occasion where I had to fill in a form and tick the “Others” box in secondary school, bringing with it more unmentionable nicknames.

I come from a “Special Assistance Plan” primary school where there were no other languages were taught beside English and Mandarin. Such schools were deemed to be the top rung of primary schools within Singapore and provided the brightest sparks of the education cohort every year (Unfortunately, I am not among them).

Coming from a school like this, whatever identity I had as a Eurasian was magnified during Chinese classes, where teachers used me as an example for good performance in mandarin. During Chinese New Year every year, the school would dutifully celebrate Chinese New Year with pomp and decorations would be put up. We all looked forward to the Chinese New Year performances every year where the Chinese Ochestra and the Chinese Dance troup would perform on stage. Though we had no “Racial Harmony Day” during my time in school, during other important festivals of the other “races”, we would be treated to some form of performance and educated in some way as well. In order to help us understand “mulicultiralism”.

I have looked forward to Chinese New Year since the days I was young. Chinese New Year represented a wonderful excuse to gorge on the nice food that was present in “8 treasure boxes” and chocolates covered in gold casings. I particularly looked forward to opportunities where I was asked to go to Chinese restaurants to eat dishes with auspicious meanings, such as “oyster and black moss stew”, which represented a good business year for my parents’ business venture, and a raw fish salad called “Yu Sheng” which represented prosperity and fortune.

As we waited at the dinner table for the tossing of “Yu Sheng”, the waiter(ess) dutifully recited individual wishes of prosperity, wealth, luck or happiness as he/she completed pouring the condiments one by one onto the plate. As those at my table tossed the salad high into the air, shouts of “Lau ah!” punctuated the air, meaning among other things, “to earn” (presumably cash). We gleefully tucked into the salad, hoping that some of this luck could be transferred onto us in the coming year.

During “Chinese” New Year, especially during its eve, we would watch programmes showing images of families having a feast at their dinner tables, or parents bringing their children to the night bazaar at Chinatown. As I grew older, every year’s Chinese New Year represented a time where I had to tell people of my progress at school, and of course, in recent years, relationships. Everyone would be looking for some form of progress in both fields and I expect that to continue to grow in magnitude as age progresses on.

Somehow, after entering university, I had this feeling that Chinese New Year had a lot to do with the traditional senses of what a complete “Chinese” family should be like. Isn’t it true that in Singapore, a “standard” “Chinese” family should be one that has a heterogeneous legally married couple with at least 2 children? But I wonder if it is really the case for all Chinese families everywhere? What about the “Queer child”? Is he represented at the dinner table?

Post-script
This is the last ever term paper I will be doing as an undergraduate. This has special meaning for me (and I am sure for others as well) as it signals the end of my(our) 16 years of education life for now, and a step into the working world. The idea of doing a narrative-academic paper only came to me as I went through the thoughts I have for (re)conceptualisation of the notion of “culture” and “being” a “geographer” as a whole. I hope such a way of writing will not land me in hot soup with “The Cultural Authority”.

2005-04-03T23:36:00.000+08:00

I'm in one of my all time low moods now.
Even though i have completed a 2nd draft of my thesis, i dun realli feel a sense of elation.. probably because i dun have anything to look forward to after exam bah.
I guess for the last 1 month i am going to have before i work, i'll not be going anywhere.. gonna be stuck here..
How i wish i can plan for a long trip somewhere... short trip will do as well.
Hope something unfolds along the way bah

2005-04-03T00:37:00.000+08:00

14386 words for me
about 600 more to go, and i'm not completed
i think its junk

2005-03-28T20:41:00.000+08:00

Some of the pics from the SJAB colours commissioning ceremony which happens once every 50 years.
Yep, once every half a century... and it had to rain
Well, although i am out of it about 80%, i still have got a 20% want to see H.E. S.R. Nathan.. so i braved the rain, the hunger, and the dark eye rings to go YCK stadium.. here are some pictures

Me and Ah Goh, there's a clown in the background, if you can see

TIC Nancy Sim from Bedok South and me

Me, Huiying and Shuhui

2005-03-28T04:32:00.000+08:00

"I want my bak kwa now! now! now!"

"No one gets past da salivator.. absolutely no one.. except taking off the sticker off da salivator's hand"

S.H.E.'s Ella when she was young, traumatised by a floating head, her sister already fallen asleep.. she was to become sleeping beauty

2005-03-22T21:20:00.000+08:00

Two recent overseas surveys posed questions to employers to find out what they want from their graduate recruits. The consensus is that employers want intelligent and enthusiastic individuals who can organise and plan their work and interact with others effectively. Some of these skills are already honed in the university or college, but others will need to be developed outside your studies. Your applications will be more convincing if you can point to a range of situations in which you developed the skills the employers seek and make yourself more employable. Here then are the highlights of the surveys. University of Central England’s Employer Satisfaction surveyRecruiters were asked to rank 60 skills in order of importance. The top 12 listed as most important were:
Willingness to learn
Commitment
Dependability/reliability
Self-motivation
Team work
Communication skills (oral)
Co-operation
Communication skills (written)
Drive/energy
Self-management
Desire to achieve/motivation
Problem-solving ability
Association of Graduate RecruitersAnother research gave the picture of a complete graduate as requiring the following skills, which are rather similar to the UCE survey:
Self-awareness. Able to identify your skills, values, interests and core strengths clearly, and provide evidence of these abilities. Actively willing to seek feedback from others. Able to identify areas for personal, academic and professional growth.
Self-promotion. Able to define and promote own agenda. Can identify 'customer needs' (academic/community/employer) and promote own strengths in a convincing way.
Exploring opportunities. Able to identify, create, investigate and seize opportunities. Possess research skills to identify possible sources of information, help and support.
Action planning. Able to plan an effective course of action, such as implementing an action plan, organising time effectively and preparing contingency plans. Able to monitor and evaluate progress against specific objectives.
Networking. Aware of the need to develop networks of contacts. Able to define, develop and maintain a support network for advice and information.
Matching and decision-making. Understands personal priorities and constraints which includes the need for a sustainable balance of work and home life. Able to match opportunities to core skills, knowledge, values, interests etc. Able to make an informed decision based on the available opportunities.
Negotiation. Able to negotiate from a position of powerlessness. Able to reach 'win/win' agreements.
Political awareness. Understands the hidden tensions and power struggles within organisations. Aware of the location of power and influence within organisations.
Coping with uncertainty. Able to adapt goals in the light of changing circumstances. Able to take a myriad of tiny risks.
Development focus. Committed to lifelong learning. Understands preferred method and style of learning. Reflects on learning from experiences, good and bad. Able to learn from the mistakes of others.
Transfer skills. Able to apply skills to new contexts - a higher level skill in itself.
Self-confidence. Has an underlying confidence in abilities, based on past successes. Also has a personal sense of self-worth, not dependent on performance.
Source: http://www.jobstreet.com.sg/career/search/graduate10.htm

2005-03-17T23:32:00.000+08:00

2005-03-12T00:21:00.000+08:00

Degree, Keys and Doors

Just some of my random thoughts as i was telling my bro, who exclaimed at my wierd variety of job applications

A degree simply gives u a single golden key,
It only gives u a key but doesn't tell you which door it opens,
There are many doors out there, but you have to hunt for them yourself,
And you got to use the key to try to open them one by one,
If you never try, you won't know which one it opens,
And if it doesn't open, you wont know what lies on the other side.
If you don't like it, close the door sometime into the future,
by that time, your key may have become bigger and changed abit
It will be able to open new doors by then.

2005-03-11T21:48:00.000+08:00

Went to my little girl's concert yesterday..
First thing i saw on stage was a very bored looking pretty clarinetist sitting in the middle of the band, her eyes were her most prominent feature under those lighting.. haha.. big big innocent looking ones! The pretty little girl was wearing a nice elegant black dress which realli made her so gorgeous!
Actually, the pieces played were pretty good! I especially loved the Romanza and the Princess Mononoke pieces, the wind instruments were fantastic (the pretty clarinetist was part of it!), moving the audience with their soothing melodies.. haha
Do i sound like a lousy concert reviewer?
The truth is, i was just glad i could be there for her last concert in NUS life, because the one before this, i couldnt be there for her as i was away at a wedding dinner.
This was also the first time i ever attended a concert at UCC.
Last night was realli memorable.

Something unexpected happened today too, dunno whether to be happy or to anticipate some form of sianness later.. haha.. i shall reveal more as things unfold. Stay tuned.

2005-03-08T16:30:00.000+08:00

Email from SLA:

Hi Vincent

1. We refer to your application for the position of Executive, CustomerService Centre.
2 We are glad that we had the chance to meet you for a very interestingand fruitful exchange of ideas and aspirations. However, we regret that weare unable to offer you the position that you had applied for.
3 Thank you for your avid interest in our organisation. We wish you allthe best in your future endeavours.

Regards

No, i didnt apply for Executive, customer service centre, i applied for Senior Executive (Strategic planning and policy). Think they made a mistake. But nonetheless, i am relieved that they rejected me finally, rather than leave me hanging in the air and thinking about it.
No, i'm not sad, i'm relieved.
I guess interviews are a learning experience. Next one will be better bah...
Its show time, next one coming up on Thursday!

2005-03-03T15:53:00.000+08:00

22 years ago, a sweet little girl was born,
she had the nicest cheeks and big round eyes that anyone could have,
with a cuteness and fragility that melted the hearts of people around,
she grew up independent yet caring and affectionate,
her pleasent disposition continues to brighten my days up,
she is always there to share my joys or sorrows,
I'm glad i found her and am able to spend this and every subsequent birthdays with her,

Happy Birthday HL!

2005-02-24T22:29:00.000+08:00

i thereby delcare that i love Miss Chang n no one else;)

2005-02-09T22:41:00.000+08:00

Oscar the grouch: Live report from the trashcan on CNY 2005
Woke up by the sound of pots and pans in the kitchen, mummy's cooking something again, wonder what it was.
Then go back Toa Payoh, big aunty-in-law's place, wah.. so long never go back liao, its actually where i grew up, cos i stayed at my granny's place, which was just 2 floors above that of my aunt-in-law. The cute nieces from my last post were there too, cos my aunt is their grandmother, both of these 2 girls so cute!! Steamboat session number 3 (including sunday, yesterday and today)
Made my way to punggol road to ** ***'s (Censored) place, wah.. quite shocking to see so many pairs of eyes scanning me, damit, today i wore the shirt, no matter how i iron, still creases.. is my hair out of place? was there a piece of vege from the steamboat stuck in my teeth, is my zipper pulled up fully? Hm..
Well, all were friendly people, especially the dad and the mom and the brother, ** ***

thoughts - *Did i make a good first impression? hm.. shit.. did i seem nervous and stammer? hm.. i hope i did well, so the parents can entrust ** ***'s safety and happiness in my furry green hands*

Then made my way to big aunty's place, almost everyone is there liao, my cousins, my own family etc.. then STEAMBOAT SESSION 4.. then came BAN LUCK.. hahaa.. win $4 only lah, not alot..

Awaiting Steamboat session 5-6 tomorrow *BURP*

2005-02-07T23:19:00.000+08:00

Pre-CNY eve posting
Give you all a treat, let you all see my cute nieces, the specky one is Qiya, while the other is Shannon, they call me "UNCLE"
i feel so old.
Oh.. the other blacky you see in the pictures, is my brother, anyone wanna apply for the position of GF?

2005-02-01T23:32:00.000+08:00

HL moved liao, so much nearer to me, the total ride from her place to mine is less than 40 minutes, including bus waiting and changing.
Woohoo! my area of operation changed le! No longer Geylang, 126 Dim Sum, i will miss you!

2005-01-31T15:33:00.000+08:00

Picture from the last wedding i went to
Liyuan and Wanyi's wedding at Le Meridian
Nice background right?
See my dark eye rings as well.. i look so zombified

2005-01-30T11:55:00.000+08:00

Chinatown and the other nice place

Went to cow car water with Ms Chang last night, wah.. so crowded, was intending to soak up the chinese new year atmosphere, but.. haha.. ended up eating tze char at a kopitiam there instead.. Quite a surreal experience siah, seeing the hundreds of people filter past the kopitiam, squeezing, sweating, while i get my hair ruffled by the huge fan, munching on salad you-tiao and sambal kangkong.

Decided that too many people, so we took a nice slow walk to "somewhere nice"

Piggy backed Ms Chang, was like.. wah lau.. so light.. making it my objective to make her bah bah enough this year.

I guess i will have to exercise more then, cos i wanna be the one to piggy back her for the rest of her life. Huge leg muscles, here i come.

2005-01-27T22:57:00.000+08:00

Been a long while since i updated this blog, now updating via broadband!

On the subject of files on shelves again.

As some of you may remember, i posted a pic of my files on my shelves.
Now, that layout and geographical location of these files within my room has changed, showing that certain priorities in life has changed as well.

Let the geographical nerd give you all one theory: geography, at a variety of scales tells lots about other processes going on within society, with the use of the example of files within my room, i would attempt to show the significance of "geographies" for social life!

Now.. take a closer look at the pic i previously posted, i have quite a number of files, thick black ones with lots of readings, notes. It is not clear within the pic, but i have about 5 files worth of lecture notes and readings situated within the shelves, with one huge SJAB seminar file and one red colour employment related file.

That has changed. Out of the 5 files, 3 are in the darkest corner of my room where almost the remains of trees that can make up the bukit timah nature reserve reside. The SJAB file and other related companions have joined these lecture notes in their obscure corner. Some more SJAB stuff are kept in a corner of my study table where i hardly ever touch.

Job related files now take up 1/3 of the SPACE within my book shevle, with the academic one taking up the rest of the 2/3. SJAB is not represented.

What does this signify? This analysis shows that several priorities in life has changed.
1. I am studying less, and am lazing more (true? those who know me can know the truth).
2. SJAB is on the bottom of my life priorities, getting a future and finishing my academic work is more important.

Geography is thus important.

Nonetheless, the cultural geographers would also argue that it is perhaps because of my placing the files at these obscure places, that my life goal has changed (perhaps its harder to reach the stuff?), or i am a deliberate actor putting up a performative DISPLAY, embodying (ah ha! body geographies again) the values that are essential in people of my age (finding job, tidyness, prioritising). Perhaps also, there's a power negotion taking place in the process of these displacement of material from areas of my room (like my mom asking me to clean up my room).

I am bored and nerdy now.

2005-01-07T02:05:00.000+08:00

Heard this song with a latin infused beat over lush 99.5.. a cool radio channel..
Apparently Frank Sinatra sang before..
It's so nice!

Tall and tan and young and lovely
the girl from Ipanema goes walking
and when she passes
each one she passes
goes "Ahhh!"

When she walks she's like a samba
that swings so cool and sways so gently
that when she passes
each one she passes
goes "Ahhh!"

Oh, but he watches so sadly
How can he tell her he loves her?
Yes, he would give his heart gladly.

But each day when she walks to the sea
she looks straight ahead
not at he.

Tall and tan and young and lovely
the girl from Ipanema goes walking
and when she passes
he smiles
but she doesn't see.
She just doesn't see.
No, she doesn't see....

2005-01-03T16:27:00.000+08:00

Sunshine after the rain

Finally a sunny day after days of monsoon weather.

I guess we all love in different ways.
When i love someone, i will go all out and give her all the love and care i can give.
For others, a fond hug, a peck on the cheek and a small "i love you" will show more love than anything else.
Isnt it true that allowing someone to care for you, wishing that person were right beside you to take care of you, and for you to spend time with, missing his/her every touch, evident that you are in love with the person?
Hoping the other person can be always happy, is already a sign of unassuming love.
We all show our love in our different little ways. Have confidence.. and hold strong.

2005-01-02T23:45:00.000+08:00

Phantom of the Opera and Rain
Watched phantom with Huiling yesterday, i think among all the musical-movies i have watched, this will be one of the better ones cos of the nice slow songs that are in them. I think i haved watched POTO before on the TV, when i was still a small fat boy.. but.. i didnt realli remember it was that nice lor..
I guess Huiling was bored cos she kept poking my fats throughout the movie..
Its been raining like crazy these 2 days.. i wonder whether heaven is taking pity on those who have fallen during the tsunami disaster.. perhaps these rains are a sign that we should all wash our faces of the sorrow and carry on the task of rebuilding the chaos?
But no matter how much the rebuilding, this part of the world may never be the same again, for the memories will always be there.
Anyway.. on a lighter note.. sian half.. 4d had a HUGE miss..

2005-01-01T05:00:00.000+08:00

What a difference a year makes to my life.
Last year this day, i was walking around totally distraught and upset over the fate that had befallen me at that moment in time.
Today, i had been thanking fate for giving me a chance in life which allowed me to fully appreciate the meaning of loving and being loved. Without the bad turn of events in the past, i wouldn't have had the happiness i have recently as well.
Eventful day, shall not bore any readers with the details, all i can say is that i spent one of the most meaningful New Year's Eve with someone who means a lot to me.
My darling was absolutely sweet, but i felt so bad for having to let her wait while i called for a cab, sorry dear, if you are reading this.
I hope to hold on to her hand for many many more new years to come..

2004-12-27T17:23:00.000+08:00

OTG and Zoe
I'm not letting go

2004-12-14T01:40:00.000+08:00

Someone commented my blog is a discourse, thanks.. i take that as a complement, dead white men write discourses, i'm not dead, and not white, since i can write a discourse, i shall be happy. :)
I had a dream..
Wierd ominous dreams about life after graduating.. sigh..
I wonder what the future holds for me.. i hope its something i want rather than something that i have to take because i have no other choice.. But then again, life isnt exactly fair to everyone.

2004-12-08T17:20:00.000+08:00

Introduction
Literature review/conceptual framework
Borderland development
Politics of landscape change
Methodology
Government policies, background and information – from border to something else(DGP, 3 regional centers of Singapore, history and timeline of Woodland’s development)
Customers’ perspectives
Shop owners’ perspectives
Conclusion

Objectives
Adds to the discussion of political boundaries being a contiguous zone between nations, rather than demarcation (in this case, in terms of economic integration – I don’t rule out other forms of integration)
Discuss how Woodlands as a border zone is not seen as such, but rather, being seen as put within the wider development framework of development planning of the nation.
Politics of such planning on the ground.

Woodlands center is a border zone with a large number of economic activities exemplifying this status, in the planning of the city state, this border zone status has subsequently been neglected, as woodlands moves towards a regional center status within Singapore instead. The businesses there are tapping on border zone status but government policies are not helping them. Politics of landscape change

why should I be concerned abt this lack of devt in the first place?

I could do a through lit review first then see whether its a critique of previous theories of border zones. For one i know that it goes against the idea that borders are affected by country-country relations, rather, it may be a matter of development policies of a nation

2004-11-26T02:58:00.000+08:00

Glimpses into the darkest corner of my room
My most prized obsession - Files
I like files, because as the semester goes on, i get this feeling that i have made full use of my $2,750 school fees as the amount of papers stacked nicely in them increases exponentially.
I get even more immense pleasure when after every exam, i would plainstakingly pack the readings into huge red rubbish bags. I'm so happy when the environment depletes due to me.
Do i make sense? probably not. At 3am in the morning when my tourism paper is tomorrow at 2:30pm.. I'm probably on a high

2004-11-13T01:38:00.000+08:00

As many of you all know, i'm somewhat crazy over cats.. here are some of the nicer pics i have taken of cats both mine and not mine.
FYI, i now have one teenager male cat (wang wang), one mother UNDERAGED level female cat (whatever she's called.. do they have statutory rape charges in the cat world?), 6 new born kittens (whatever they are called)

King of the Ang Moh Kio Cats, taken near friend's place

No, i didnt rob a bank and get shot [starring a very very tired wang wang]

Hiding from that idiot with the silver thingy.. [Wang Wang's the family favourite, on the left.. with twin brother Xiao Hei, who went missing]

Cute or not? Let me lick my paws and melt your hearts [ Xiao hei]

Shh... I've got a secret to tell you

2004-10-11T21:33:00.000+08:00

I did realise that my blog is increasingly looking dated and boring with little stuff to see, yep, you guessed it, Honours Year has been mad, and been reading/ discussing/ doing projects non-stop for the past 9 weeks.
Well, but it's been fun with my bunch of fellow (de)constructionists around, they have been quite an amazing group of people, with aspiring tai tais, future Marsiling MP and the perpetual gods of geography.
My closer group of friends in class include Worm, Dy S3 (-UC) sir, Mingy, China Mei, Da Min, and Burt.. the 7 wonder(er)s who got no idea what is happening in class most of the time.
Below are some pics from the apex of geography

Taken after the maddening geography vs sociology debate, where the bimbos and himbos there attacked our discipline instead of arguing to the topic, and they still won

The debaters for my clas, the future MP is seated 2nd from right

Taken at esplanade during my birthday makan session, front row left to right, China Mei, Worm, Mingy and Da Min, back row Dy S3 (-uc)

My O Week gang, most have graduated, but they have been one of the best bunch of people i have known in my days at NUS, without them i think my 1st 3 years would be hell

Class gathering (i) at The Coffee Connossieur at Boat Quay, nice place, good dessert, nice campany

2004-09-23T01:41:00.000+08:00

The Heart of the Prajna Paramita Sutra

The free seeing Bodhisattva of compassion, while in profound contemplation of Prajna Paramita, beheld five skandhas as empty in their being and thus crossed over all sufferings.
O-oh Sariputra, what is seen does not differ from what is empty, nor does what is empty differ from what is seen; what is seen is empty, what is empty is seen.
It is the same for sense perception, imagination, mental function and judgement.
O-oh Sariputra, all the empty forms of these dharmas neither come to be nor pass away and are not created or annihilated, not impure or pure, and cannot be increased or decreased.
Since in emptiness nothing can be seen, there is no perception, imagination, mental function or judgement.
There is no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or consciousness. Nor are there sights, sounds, odors, tastes, objects or dharmas.There is no visu-al world, world of consciousness or other world.
There is no ignorance or extinction of ignorance and so forth down to no aging and death and also no extinction of aging and death. There is neither suffering, causation, annihilation nor path.
There is no knowing or unknowing. Since nothing can be known, Bodhisattvas rely upon Prajna Paramita and so their minds are unhindered.
Because there is no hindrance, no fear exists and they are far from inverted and illusory thought and thereby attain nirvana.
All the Buddhas in the three per-i-ods of time fully accomplish the an-nut-ta-ra-sam-yak sambod-hi by relying upon Prajna Paramita.
Therefore, Prajna Paramita is known as the most divine mantra, the great enlightening mantra, the utmost mantra, the in-com-pa-ra-ble mantra, destroyer of all suffering! Since what is true is not in vain, listen to the mantra of the Prajna Paramita--it goes like this:
GATE GATE PA-RA GATE PARASAM GATE BOD-HI SVA-HA!

source:http://home.hkstar.com/~francish/heart.htm

2004-08-04T03:10:00.000+08:00

Posting my research proposal right here! haha.. Any comments from anyone who has gone through the school system? Drop me a mail ya! Your comments are very much appreciated.

Objective: to study the significance of the school landscape for student-teacher relations, and its role in social control

Inspiration for study:
During a camp, in which I was involved in, we wanted to open up a toilet for use by our junior trainers, but were declined by a teacher of the hosting school. She said that, she doesn’t think that we should open up the toilet for use by the junior trainers, as there are some junior trainers from the hosting school as well, and she doesn’t want them to think that rules don’t apply, as they normally cannot use the toilets.
What is the significance of the toilets then? Not purely functional.

Other areas of possible governmentality:
Quadrangle
Positioning of classrooms
Queuing
Teachers not standing with them
Positioning of key offices – students will want to avoid certain places within the school.
Restriction on the use of space?

Social control
Rhetorical, banners etc within the school compound which propagate certain values, which are promoted by the state, or school.
The construction of monuments, statues and artefacts that stand for certain qualities that are valued, and a certain glorious part of history.

Resistance
Teacher being outsiders in a canteen recess.
Classrooms as places of refuge?
Vandalism?
The changing ground, teachers and students more on equal terms.

How will this add value to research or policy?
Education planners in cross-country scenarios can make use of these to improve education system.
With changing focus towards student – teacher equality, and teachers as facilitators, will this landscape play a counter role?

Things I worry about.
Drift by different sets of students, some take classroom as jail, some take classroom as refuge. The preference of students for their school may vary.
Should I do both primary school and secondary school?
is governmentality the right concept to use?

Fieldwork
Interviews with teachers, principals and discipline masters, perhaps a focus group in December?
Surveys with one or 2 classes from each school that I can get access to?Importantly, perhaps talk to architect of schools?

2004-06-24T16:48:00.000+08:00

Dream Cars Car Show 2004 at Singapore Expo

Cars are always associated with women, and cars are also always associated with dreams..
Some women are also always associated with dreams.. but why can't they get those women associated with dreams to be at the Dream Car Car show?
I mean.. my friend was raving about 12 Japanese Women and 8 Aussie racing queens tt were supposed to be at the car show.. the only gals i believe tt could be considered the slightest hint of niceity was Singaporean, but just because they show abit.. whole world taking pictures of them...
Friend was asking me to go take picture with those queenies.. BUT!! NO!! I will not want to be caught right in a filming of Monsters Inc!
And the Aussies.. haha.. their arms are thicker than my legs.
See for yourselves.

Oh.. for the whole show.. i think the following is the most can make it

2004-06-23T01:17:00.000+08:00

Remembering those days
This is a pic of a chalet tt we had right before we entered University.
I'm in my 4th Year now.. time realli flies..
Eventually, as life progresses towards our 40s and 50s.. Perhaps we may no longer be in contact?
That will be a great loss

2004-06-22T17:33:00.000+08:00

Pai seh pai seh.. forgot to introduce my 2 kakis to u all..
Hyper eligible bachelors.. One's a Teacher, While the other's self employed..
Guess who is who..
Left is Jackson, Right is Darric, AKA toad
These 2 guys are realli realli very good friends of mine.. though sometimes we have our misunderstandings and unhappiness in the past.. they are not the sort who will backstab you. Not the kind who have a hidden agenda... Unlike someone else who took something which was once very very precious away from me.. hehe..
So.. ladies reading this blog.. haha.. if anyone interested in knowing these two jokers.. come get their contact from me! hhaha..

This one stylo bo? Playing around with camera and photoshop editor.. ahhaa

2004-06-22T02:45:00.000+08:00

Bought a new camme.. haha.. been aiming for it for sooooooooo long liao.. look forward to a blog with lotsa pics in the near future ya...
Well Well, been one day since i heard THE news.. and.. nothing i can say now will tell people how cheated i feel..
But time and again, people have reassured me that she's not worth my feeling disappointed, she's not worthy of me. Slowly, i am beginning to accept it.
:)

2004-06-19T02:33:00.000+08:00

Tequila~~
A DAMN COOL SONG

I was at the bar with my drinking team
And it was me, Jack Daniels and my homie Jim Beam
We were kinda blizzed and we were tryin to behave, yo
When in walked a soldier, he was from the Fuzzy Navel
We were fallin, stumblin, crawlin
In came the police, Captain Tom Collins
And the vato said, "Freeze!" (Freeze!)
He said, "Hands in the air and hand over your keys"
Now we did, and that was kinda simple
Now here came Margarita and her friend Shirley Temple
I asked my friend 'bout Margarita
He said that Shirley was a virgin and I wouldn't wanna meet her
So I talked to Margarita, cause, yo, she was flyer
I took her to the couch, cause I wanted to srew-drive her
Now I'm not one for a speech
But there was plenty of Tequila and Sex on the Beach
Y'all
Tequila

[ *horn section plays the 'Tequila' theme* ]

T-T-T-Tequila

Yeah

Alright

Come on

[ crowd ]
TEQUILA!

[ VERSE 2 ]
Here we go again and I'm not fussin
See, I'm a French Mexican but I kick it with White Russians
At the bar with the drink in my hand
In walked José Cuevo, it was Margarita's man
I talked to the Wise Man, cause yo, he's distinguished
His name is St. Ides and he spoke in Olde English
He said, "You better think fast
Cause José is kinda crazy and I heard he shot blast"
He gave me some advice and it went like this, yo
"Catch the Nighttrain and head up to 'Cisco"
I didn't wanna stick around
I caught the 1(:)51 to New York, the Greyhound
Now I'm at the Red Zone, everybody stylin
Showbiz was sippin Ice Teas on Long Island
I blacked out, the party came to a halt
Cause I was drinkin the Tequila with the lemon and salt
Y'all
Tequila

[ *horn section plays the 'Tequila' theme* ]

T-T-T-Tequila

Yeah

Alright

[ crowd ]
TEQUILA!

[ VERSE 3 ]
I woke up in the morning and felt like a zombie
The Tequila Gold Label had bombed me
You see, I woke up late, I wasn't feelin so great
And Mike said, "There's a Bacardi party startin at 8"
Yo, we walked in the party and started playin our games
We played tops, ??? and quarters with Bartles & Jaymes
Here came Shirley Temple and they told me to chill
Because the Mickey Brothers took her up to Strawberry Hill
They took her $1000 mink and she could barely think
Cause the Tequila that she drank had her tickled pink
Now the music came on and I rocked the instrumental
There's a groupie named Mai Tai, a fly oriental
A groupie is a girl that jocks
She wore a def Black Velvet and drank Scotch on the rocks
We had a Fake Marriage, now here's the Honeymoon
Yo, it's on, Vagabond at the Blue Lagoon
Now everybody take a couple of words from the wise
A girlie and a bottle - Tequila Sunrise
Tequila

[ *horn section plays the 'Tequila' theme* ]

Yeah

Alright

Come on

[ crowd ]
TEQUILA!

2004-04-24T02:37:00.000+08:00

Jit pai si liao...
Jit pai si liao..
reading so tough.. abit also dun understand..
urban soci.. study of the city..
hm.. think i must gia long zhong eh deng bai eh meh kia chut lai kong.. siao liao
Dunno will have A or not..
but.. ONCE IT IS OVER.. haha.. 3 month holiday
minus Thesis

2004-04-13T21:10:00.000+08:00

Tourism is finally over ya..
Gonna miss Prof Wong ah.. haha.. kind old man..
Not very difficult.. models, beach resort, Destination life cycle, Sustainable ecotourism, planning in SEA etc etc..
haha...
Did DLC and sustainable ecotourism ya(promised myself not to do anything on that.. but the outline i wrote was wonderfully a fantastic grade ya... )
DLC.. haha.. crap my way through..
The feeling after doing these 2 questions were great.. first time i was able to discuss things academically.. with quotes, etc etc..
BUT.. Question 1 not very sure liao.
Maybe just a B answer..
Really hope that at least can get an A-..

Heard something like this phrase on NKF show's Teochew opera..

One day, we 2 will turn into the bell at the city temple and the drum at the city gates
In the morning the drum sounds
In the evening the bell rings
To other people, these would just be the drum sounding and bell ringing
But to me and you, these would be the sounds of our love

Somehow, seeing the chinese lyrics, its damn nice lor..
But.. putting it in english is really doing it a disfavour..

2004-04-12T19:14:00.000+08:00

Under Milk Wood

It is Spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the
cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courter's-and-rabbits' wood limping
invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboat-bobbing
sea. The houses are are blind as moles (though moles see fine tonight in the
snouting, velvet dingles) or blind as Captain Cat there in the muffled middle by
the pump and the town clock, the shops in mourning, the Welfare Hall in widows'
weeds. And all the people of the lulled and dumbfound town are sleeping now.

Hush, the babies are sleeping, the farmers, the fishers, the tradesmen and
pensioners, cobbler, schoolteacher, postman and publican, the undertaker and the
fancy woman, drunkard, dressmaker, preacher, policeman, the webfoot cocklewomen
and the tidy wives. Young girls lie bedded soft or glide in their dreams, with
rings and trousseaux, bridesmaided by glow-worms down the aisles of the
organplaying wood. The boys are dreaming wicked of the bucking ranches of the
night and the jollyrodgered sea. And the anthracite statues of the horses sleep
in the fields, and the cows in the byres, and the dogs in the wet-nosed yard;
and the cats nap in the slant corners or lope sly, streaking and needling, on
the one cloud of the roofs.

You can hear the dew falling, and the hushed town breathing.

Only your eyes are unclosed to see the black and folded town fast, and slow,
asleep.

And you alone can hear the invisible starfall, the darkest-before-dawn minutely
dewgrazed stir of the black, dab-filled sea where the Arethusa, the Curlew and
the Skylark, Zanzibar, Rhiannon, the Rover, the Cormorant, and the Star of Wales
tilt and ride.

Listen. It is night in the chill, squat chapel, hymning in bonnet and brooch and
bombazine black, butterfly choker and bootlace bow, coughing like nannygoats,
sucking mintoes, fortywinking hallelujah; night in the four-ale, quiet as a
domino; in Ocky Milkman's lofts like a mouse with gloves; in Dai Bread's bakery
flying like black flour. It is tonight in Donkey Street, trotting silent, with
seaweed on its hooves, along the cockled cobbles, past curtained fernpot, text
and trinket, harmonium, holy dresser, watercolours done by hand, china dog and
rosy tin teacaddy. It is night neddying among the snuggeries of babies.

Look. It is night, dumbly, royally winding through the Coronation cherry trees;
going through the graveyard of Bethesda with winds gloved and folded, and dew
doffed; tumbling by the Sailors Arms.

Time passes. Listen. Time passes.

Come closer now.

Only you can hear the houses sleeping in the streets in the slow deep salt and
silent black, bandaged night. Only you can see, in the blinded bedrooms, the
combs and petticoats over the chairs, the jugs and basins, the glasses of teeth,
Thou Shalt Not on the wall, and the yellowing dickybird-watching pictures of the
dead. Only you can hear and see, behind the eyes of the sleepers, the movements
and countries and mazes and colours and dismays and rainbows and tunes and
wished and flight and fall and despairs and big seas of their dreams.

From where you are, you can hear their dreams...

-- Dylan Thomas

2004-04-11T23:28:00.000+08:00

By right, i should be studying for tourism, natural hazards and natural resources.
But silly me had to make a point to clear my wallet of stuff that was given to me by Jo.. after three and an half months.. just removed the photos actually.. from my room..
Changed her name on my phone too..
The ID tag, the friendship band, a $10 note folded into a heart, and a card
All these are memories that i hold dear..
21st April 2004 is year 6, if things were still as the past, but its not to be..
How can i move on?
Thought what we agreed was to remain friends? Not even a Hi or a Bye nowadays.. it just fades into oblivion.
Yes, great.. WHY SHOULD I STILL CARE?
And i've got this hunch that more than one things have been hidden from me.. since the middle of last year. So be it.
Goodnight world.
Exams on tuesday.
Carlsberg, here i come.

2004-04-08T03:13:00.000+08:00

Its 3:12am, two more hours, i can start seeing people coming to work.
I am still awake.
Hm.. Nocturnal animal ya..
Natural Hazards is still easy to understand.. Wong Poh Poh's tourism development.. oh no.. how to get A?
Eh.. In my theory, when you come to university, there are two groups of people. One fighting to pass exams, and the other fighting to get good grades to get a good grading.
Both groups can bever understand each other...

2004-04-08T02:12:00.000+08:00

There's an intense amount of panicking within me right now.. deciding which course of action to take for some modules.. Should i just read notes? Or Readings? Hm... Shit...
Wasted too much time liao lah.. The time has come for judgement..

2004-04-06T00:00:00.000+08:00

Suddenly humming my fav song from sesame street long long ago.. dunno how many of you have heard of this before.. nice

Written by Jeff Moss
1978 Festival Attractions, Inc. (ASCAP)
Sung by Ernie (Jim Henson)

I DON'T WANT TO LIVE ON THE MOON - KERMIT THE FROG

Well, I'd like to visit the moon
On a rocket ship high in the air
Yes, I'd like to visit the moon
But I don't think I'd like to live there
Though I'd like to look down at the earth from above
I would miss all the places and people I love
So although I might like it for one afternoon
I don't want to live on the moon

I'd like to travel under the sea
I could meet all the fish everywhere
Yes, I'd travel under the sea
But I don't think I'd like to live there
I might stay for a day there if I had my wish
But there's not much to do when your friends are all fish
And an oyster and clam aren't real family
So I don't want to live in the sea

I'd like to visit the jungle, hear the lions roar
Go back in time and meet a dinosaur
There's so many strange places I'd like to be
But none of them permanently

So if I should visit the moon
Well, I'll dance on a moonbeam and then
I will make a wish on a star
And I'll wish I was home once again
Though I'd like to look down at the earth from above
I would miss all the places and people I love
So although I may go I'll be coming home soon
'Cause I don't want to live on the moon
No, I don't want to live on the moon