This blog is all about me, and anything about me. Be prepare to be loaded with lots of food, movies, music, grumbles and even some foul language. This is the place for anyone who knows me, even on the most superficial level. Enjoy and hope you know me better each day. (please adjust your display setting to Unicode)
New Year Resolution: 孙子兵法
Honestly, I don't really care about 1st of January. It just mean it is a start of a new sem, and time to do quite a bit of things to adjust to the new calender. The New Year I'm more concern of, is that of Chinese New Year.
I have one New Year resolution I must make this year, after realising how much in lacking I am in terms of skills in working among people.
I feel that, those people I had slamed on my previous post, i.e. the chairperson of AnimeClub, and Hall 5 president, are indeed the wiser ones.
By admiting the wrongs and inadequte before others do, they have execute a move that actually put them ahead in the situation.
By step back, they are actually advancing in the everyday battlefield of life.
When I commented them, I am really the fool and loser in the war.
This is just what 孙子兵法, or The Art of War had been teaching for 100s of years, and due to my lack in reading, I have made myself so much a fool now.
Hence, I resolute to keep 孙子兵法 as my momento of life, and think back a little before executing my next move.
I shall not make such shallow mistake again.
// sprinkled by wing_0 @ 1/28/2006 03:22:00 pm
Never Thought '6' is So Scary
Finally finish my work load before New Year, and is almost moving my body to the tone I am playing on my computor now.
But still 1 more job to do before going home finally tommorrow: collect my handphone from service centre.
My handphone, due to prolong impact damage, starts to hang on me. Whenever I press some button on my phone, it just hang.
With that kind of problem, it basically means you can't use your phone to type any new number that ain't in your phonebook. It also mean, you can't type a decent SMS without hanging your phone.
And you know what button is that?
The number 6.
Think about it, by pressing 666... on your phone, your phone will hang on you... scary sia...
Though I don't really believe in Satan, for this week at least, that combination of number is definately freaking me out...
// sprinkled by wing_0 @ 1/26/2006 11:21:00 pm
For God's Sake...
I open my NTU webmail whole day around, to receive either mails from my prof, clubs, or just some other matters. But today, I also receive really bad jokes.
First, a mail from my AnimeClub predsident.
Having involve the still controversal hobby of cosplay (costume-playactting) in our coming event, without consulting the two main bodies in Singapore that govern this, and receive quite a bit of comment from them, rather expected by me.
And so the stories goes, is that the president of AnimeClub, sent out a copy of all the email conversation between the club and Singapore Cosplay Club, to all of the people under AnimeClub. I read through, and can only find it funny, not because of the content, but the one person who is working on top of me. As a management role, you sure you wanna let all the people under you to know what a big mistake you have done, and is still willing to commit to it, even if it could endanger the very well-being of the club?
For God's sake...
Then, comes another more funny mail, this time, from the president of my hall Junior Common Room Commitee.
In responds to the recent, known to the nation rental rise to some of the halls in NTU, he made a long mail regarding how he would, with other hall's president, fight for the lowing of the rental rise. He also went on about how the school management had blatantly ignored their responds and let the price hike went ahead.Among the long mail, he even said they will try to get the attention of the school as soon as possible, and will keep on trying even it fails.
And I guess, by the time the school finally adjusted the price, I would have either paid 2 months of rent, or finished my semester already. Isn't it obvious that the school is making the decision here, and the JCRC are plain useless here? Even if they make the school lower the rent in anytime soon, you think it is possible for them to refund back to us? No way.
For God's sake...
It's only natural for us human being to only remember the bads people had done. By openly telling the world you have fail your task, is essentially digging your own grave for your reputation. Please, if you are not at the court, and no evidence is pointing at you, you don't have to declare guilty to your own charges. Just patch it up, by either getting the job done, do a U-turn to get it back on the right track. No one will call you a dumb if you don't open your mouth.
To who it may concern, for God's sake... don't make me laugh.
// sprinkled by wing_0 @ 1/24/2006 11:58:00 pm
Can't Imagine...
This weekend is rather fruitful. Done the last day of road show for Memoir of Geisha, had a nice meal to see off some of the main-comittee members that are going away for exchange, and bought 2 pieces of new clothes I can wear for New Year and school life alike.
But there are also things I can't really imagine, but happened.
While waiting for the show to start, the secretary of the club arrive, and said she has something important to announce. So, I jokingly said, "You getting married is it?" and expect laughter or scolding for being lame. But both of that did not came. Instead, a silence, then she opened her mouth and said, "I am getting married.".
Next moment, the rest of us still couldn't believe our ears. After some more moments of confusion, the rest of us started to shake her hand and congratulate her.
The thing is, she had never told anyone that she is in a serious relationship all these whiles. So, no one could really imagine that she is going to register in coming June.
Then, after the first show, we had like 2 hours before the next show, and we literally lim kopi (Hokkein: drink coffee, or mean take a break) at a foodcourt. Slowly the group started chatting, and ended up on the topic of eyebrow. So the girls started talkign about plucking them, and extended to the 2 guys (of which include me...) about have we ever pluck our own eyebrows. I have always wanted to, but never dare to get it done by shops, as it's rather... not quite comfortable.
So, one of the girls, the vice-chairperson, volunteer to do it for me. The secretary volunteered her pincers. They are all ready to do it, at the food court.
And there you have it, my first time ever, eyebrow pluck, done at not beauty palour, but, foodcourt at Millenia Walk. I myself never imagined that, but indeed it happened.
From now on, I will keep my finger cross when come to things never possiblly imaginable. There will somehow be a fated day when I will end up doing it, hearing it, or knowing about it.
// sprinkled by wing_0 @ 1/21/2006 10:55:00 pm
J.B. = ...
JB, the short form for Johor Bahru, Singapore's nearest haunt in Malaysia. But, I have found 2 new meaning to these 2 letters.
JB = je ba (Hokkien for full in the stomach)
I went JB last weekend after my Memoir of Geisha roadshow, where JAC did a yukata demo at, to join my group of friends from SMU and NTU alike for a seafood dinner. After a surpirsingly short journey across the strait, we were ready for a huge feast, and indeed we did. For starter, spending RM3.50, we have a jug-sized mug of sugar cane juice each. It opens for a 9 course dinners, complete with prawns, clams, stingray, cod fish, crabs, vegetable and crayfish, and it costed us about RM36 per person. In total, together with transport, I only managed to spend around S$20 for that oversea trip.
JB = ji bo liao (modified hokkien: so very nothing better to do)
For the last and coming weekend , I am doing the yukata demo at Milenia Walk, a shopping mall next to the busy Suntec City Mall, near the marina area of Singapore. yukata is essentially cotton version of kimono, with only 1 layer instead of the convensional 3 layer kimono. And to do the demo for it is the best thing the club can came out with, as we were invited for another roadshow last year by the local TV station. We came out of the idea ourselves this time. Thi had in turn caused some stir up in my private life. To begin, it clashes with my seafood dinner trip on last Sat, and later family lunch at an Italian restaurant (the food I talk about it some other time...), and the proposed, brought forward reunion dinner on next Sat.
On top of that, I had just 'spiced' up my life again, by taking the post of event organisor for the buddies team for the present and future batch of exchange students. To put up in one or 2 words, I am involving in things that others would find it quite pointless, as next year on, hostel allocation will not be according to ECA participation. Even lou ma zi is telling me go learn Japanese from outside. But I make a choice otherwise. I decide to learn something I can only learn and make mistake in campus life: interpersonal relationship. It's only through working with different people of in cmapus life, I will get the closet things of working life at this stage. Japanese, through my continous exposure, I can still pick it up in years to come, but not how to deal with other people. In future, any mistake will be almost fatal.
Whatever JB means to me, it had really been a great week for me. I hope it don't just stop there.
// sprinkled by wing_0 @ 1/16/2006 10:52:00 pm
Good Music, Never 'Out'
sai lou don't normally listen to a lot of music. If not because he had been real bored in his army days, guess he will know nuts about music, especially Jpop.
However, his limited library of Jpop had some amazing discovery.
He was watching a new local drama serial in camp. Surprisingly, he realise the theme song is amazingly familiar. Somehow, he remembered it's a song by Every Little Thing (ELT), a band with a enduring vocal, with eyes that's quite frighteningly big and round.
So, when he came home just now, he asked me to tune in to the drama's opening, and want me to confirm his guess, which is in fact correct. The song title is All Along, in the album Time to Destination
However, in my whole collection of Jpop album, I have only 1 album belongs to ELT. It was the best selling album of the year, way back in 1998. It is also my first Jpop album I bought.
First thing, I am really disappointed how MediaCorp, or the local music scene is lacking of idea, that they have to search for a song that is at least 8 years ago. Have they really got no talents that can write a song of a standard anything near ELT 8 years ago?
Then again, I am totally amazed how good music, no matter how long it was made, could be so timeless, and is able to adapt in any given time and place.
This in turn remind me of Nakashima Mika's famous winter song, Yuki no Hana. It was such a hit, not only it was requested by the Japanese for her to sing this song in 2005's Red and White Song Match, a Japan national New Year eve must-see, despite the song was realease in 2003. It also had a Korean version, and is well received even in Japan.
In short, good music, stay on forever, and will never be 'out'.
// sprinkled by wing_0 @ 1/13/2006 09:07:00 pm
fuyu ame
(japanese: winter rain)
Trust me, the phrase is definately invented by me, cause I think the only thing that associate with winter in Japan, is definately not the rain.
And so, the annunal, highly anticipated rainy season of Singapore had begun. Days of non-stop raining, with gentle gust of wind that send chills down your spine, but one you will only enjoy once a year.
To most of us local, we simply love it. Cool weather all day, stay at home, nap till your heart contend. It's also time when you can take out your jacket that you will never you can wearing it in sunny Singapore.
To the rest, including myself sometime, the rain is rather annoying in this supposing winter month.
Knowing enough exchange student, you will definately 1 or 2 comment on their MSN showing their dislike of the rain. It basically spoil all their plan of going for some decent sightseeing in here. Like today, there was suppose to be a seafood lunch at Kallang riverside area, but most probably because of the rain, it was called off. (But I later found out it was because they went to a mosque to see the Haji celebration...)
For me, it's just my nose. Breathing with my mouth the whole day.
But other than that, I ain't complaining.
Treasure this only moment of comfort when you can, catch the nap you have always been wanting to have.
// sprinkled by wing_0 @ 1/10/2006 03:23:00 pm
East Meet West
Just came back from pubbing at Clark Quay. I intended to go to Ministry of Sound, a branch of the popular Brit club, but the queue was long. When it was short, it was already 1am, and I had spent quite a bit on liquor already. If I know someone from inside Ministry, I would had gotten in earlier, but I don't... just too bad...
But this post ain't about my pubbing exprience.
It's more on the various catergory of exchange student I met so far. This isn't the most accurate catergirisation, since I have been among them for less than 2 weeks only.
First there's the student from the western world. They are open minded to begin with, and ask a lot of questions about things in Singapore. They seems to be nice people to be among, 'cos the way they recieve you, it really makes you feel important. But sometimes, when you chat with them long enough, the nice-ness seems a little fake, and too superficial.
While there's some of them who are avid gamers at home, in here, all of them seems to become club/pub hunters. Even if the alcohol in here is more expensive than their home country, they don't really care. On general, their sense of money is much less than the locals of student from the east. They are will to pay a little higher, as long as they enjoy themselves, and that's can be rather turn off for me to stick with them at times. It's quite annoying to hear that they are not willing to pay less than $5 for a pillow 'cos it's ain't soft as those they sleep on at home...
Then there's the east. They can be open to new things when the situation require them, and can mix around with the ang moh. On other occasion, as they are from this region of the world, they don't show as much enthu about here. They also will be more comfortable to form cliques with people of their same origin, like the Hong Kongers will form one group, the PRC another, and the Korean another.
Their sense of money is really tight, espeically among the Hong Kongers. They can past by a shop that sells something they really like, but as long as the price ain't suit them, they can give it up. As for drinking, not that they don't, but as the price is quite steep for them, they will rather go for cheaper fun like taking a trip down to Geylang, or stay at hall to talk to friends on MSN, than to go down at weekly basis. It not like they are being stingy or what, they are just content of their status quo as student, and stick with it.
There are also the mix, people who are Asian, but had been in the west most of the time. They are not really as careful with their money as the east, and have no problem sticking around the ang moh, like they are one themselves. But given the opportunities, they will still prefer the company of the east, and get in touch with their root. They remind me of myself sometime, as I am just as much of a hybrid as they are.
But as usual, there's always exception, and they occur among the Dutch. There's this Dutch Chiense young lady, her look is absolutely georgeous, with the perfect match of oriental and caucassian features, and she look like as if she pops out from some manga or comic books. She even have Chinese name, but she don't speak a single words of Chinese. And maybe it's the language barrier, everytime I see her at those exchange student gathering, she will always be among the ang moh. She has a friend, a fellow Dutch-Chinese, and he do come along to chit chat with the Chinese, in Mandarin or Cantonese, but not for her. Even I know her other Dutch friends, I find it hard to talk to her in the most friendly ways, as she so much more an ang moh than Chinese. So if you ask me if there's any chance for me to know her better than a friend's friend, I will say not too possible.
So much for the moment, and by knowing them better in the days to come, I hope the negative views of them will change a bit as I am more open to their way of life.
// sprinkled by wing_0 @ 1/05/2006 02:25:00 am