: P KTV Again!

Today afternoon.

Guess what? I went to K-Box to sing karaoke again! But this time is with Daniel, Yiyong and Elvin!

Just have fun and sing, sing, sing!

(But crap loh, I have to pay to get a membership card, thought they have it...)

God! I'm a Cap Fanatic!

Yesterday, Monday afternoon.

I just went out with Daniel Chua to Jurong Point yesterday. We were bored at home so we decided to go out anyway.

Didn't really knew what to do with him at the place except doing some window shopping. I am still hunting for my prefer white N.Y. cap design.

But I can't find it at Jurong Pint's 77th Street shop! Damn!

So I ended eating with Daniel at the cafe restaurant there, eating pasta. He said he was very hungry. His appetite was boosted ever since he entered NS.

About this small outing only lasted for about an hour or so...

But before I went home (after Daniel went home), I went back to hunt for another cap (maybe I'm simply just not satified that I get my white N.Y. cap)!

This time I thought I needed a more sporty cap.

So I went to the Sport Connection shop and immediately spotted and bought a light grey, clima-fit Nike cap, which I like, because it is weather resistant and cooling for my head (Unlike my brown cap which makes me hot-headed in hot weathers. Makes me sweat like hell).

I think my new Nike cap is good for use under hot weather outdoor outings under the sun.

Even I got this Nike cap, I'll still gonna hunt down my favourite white N.Y. cap!

Out & Out for Hours & Hours! (Episode II)

The Pay Cheque: Last Saturday late morning hours.

I reached home at about 8.30am. I was surprised to see my sister awake so early on a weekend.

I asked her why so early woke up, she said she can't sleep anymore so she woke up to watch cartoons and do some of her own work.

But then, I headed straight for the toilet and was about to pee... Then I saw red waters in the toilet... Ah haa... I understand then.

Anyway, I went to take some clothes to take a nice warm bathe. Even after my bath, I still feel quite tired as I didn't sleep. I didn't even wanted to take a few minutes of short nap as I'm scared that once I slept, I can't wake up in time to go out again.

So I drank some coffee to wake me up and ate a cake for breakfast. After that, I changed my clothes again and set off to walk to the the Chinese MRT station to take a transit train to Tanjong Pagar in town.

I reached Tanjong Pagar and tried to contact Thiru wheether he was coming. But he replied that he was tired that I go and get the cheque my own. I laughed on myself. I think I'm more tired than anyone else. Ha ha.

So I went up the International Plaza to the Kelly Services branch office while contacting with Andhika using my handphone.

I wanted to see Andhika and see how he has been in his NS after taking and banking in my pay cheque at a POSB bank branch at Tanjong Pagar Plaza.

But in the end I didn't manage to see him as I was too tired, I decided to go home and sleep.

So after I reached home and bathe again (as it was a warm weather that day), I slept from about 12pm to about 4.30pm.

Chinatowning: Last Saturday evening.

After I woke up, I bathe again. And then went to heat up my dinner my mum prepared for the family.

I ate my dinner early as I already skipped my lunch for the day through my sleep, and so I was hungry.

So I went to Chinatown on taking the MRT train. My train picked up the rest of the guys and the gal (Chee Wee, Alvin, Junlong, Hong Yun and Huimin). I think they went to Clementi to deal with the accident insurance stuff.

Poor Huimin gotta pay $1000 and Hong Yun $500. I think I better pay them some petrol money and transport service fee : |

Anyway, we went all the way to Chinatown while chatting along the way to lighten up everyone's mood after yesterday's incident.

After reaching Chinatown, Hong Yun seperated from us to meet up some of his girl friends (This guy is just not tired, doesn't he? He still said he was giddy then in the train).

The rest of us went to eat porridge at the Chinatown Heritage Restaurant at its heritage centre. The restaurant was a small one. Only the size of one five-foot way shop.

It was opened by some joker chef known as the "porridge king" saying he was quite a celebrity, with pictures of his "gay" pictures of him half-nuded with six-pack on the menus and on advertising leaflets...

Luckily, we were still able to enjoy the "gay" chef porridge as his porridge was not too bad.

After their dinner (not my dinner, more like my lunch), we all went for walk walk at the bazaar of the Chinatown.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse: Last Saturday evening.

After the walk, we decided to went for a midnight movie. We all wanted to watch the Resident Evil: Apocalypse. So we went to Golden Village Cinema at Dhouby Ghaut's Plaza Singapore Shopping Mall.

At the time we bought our tickets, it was about 11pm.

But the movie we're watching was at 1.30am.

Hong Yun wanted to eat some food at the Mos Burger's. So we went there first, I ordered a small cup of coffee while Huimin order corn soup. Hong Yun ordered a set meal.

After that, we all went to the Istana Park's big pavillion shelter to rest and slack till the movie time.

Huimin and Alvin was listening to music. Hong Yun was sleeping on the bench. Junlong was walking around the park. Chee Wee was torturing a small bug which looked like a hissing cockroach with bottle cap, empty aluminium can and his saliva...

I was bored also. I didn't bother to sit around as the weather felt warm if I sat still. So I dance around, walk around the pavillion up and down practically.

So when its time to head for our movie, we all went across the road again to head for the cinema.

Most our seats were badly situated at the first row and the extreme right.

Luckily, we didn't have neck-aches after that as we quite enjoyed the movie. Though most of us had a bad angle to watch the movie.

For me, the movie, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, was quite good, though I think it was not as good as the first Resident Evil movie. Alice (Milla Jovovich) was more superheroed now but still hot and sexy.


 

People just keep dying and not dying in this world...

The movie was "bloody" good but not scary. But Huimin was a bit scared I think... Ha ha.

But I'm looking forward for a third Resident Evil movie : )

After that we all took the midnight buses home. I reached home at about 4.30am plus and I went straight to my cosy bed after that.

Out & Out for Hours & Hours! (Episode I)

I've been out and out for hours and hours from last Friday evening till yesterday Sunday early morning! It was one of the longest weekends outdoors I've ever been!

I only went back home to basically sleep or bathe during the in-betweens.

I didn't know I can hang out for fun for so long with little sleep. By norm, I could have felt asleep in the streets.

I've been hanging out with Huimin, Alvin, Junlong, Hong Yun and Chee Wee these few past days.

This period the other guys and I went through made us seems so much for desperate for the time outside of NS (Hong Yun and Junlong mainly bah. Alvin was like me, going to Tekong soon. Chee Wee was on a one week break as he past his PTP training).

All the fun, good and bad events we all had together binded us even more of a relationship called friendship.

So what happened? Here they come...

The K-Box Karaoke Session: Last Friday evening till past midnight Saturday.

I went to have dinner along with Alvin and Huimin at a coffeeshop nearby Alvin's neighbourhood estate in Bukit Batok.

After the dinner, we went to meet Chee Wee and to take his dad's goods delivery car, so that Alvin could drive on his own for the first time after he passed his driving test on Thursday I think.

We all went into the car, I took the back space (there were no fixed seats) and sat at a foldable chair. The rest of them took the front seats of course.

Alvin's driving was not too bad actually. Couldn't really comment much on his driving as couldn't see a thing outside as the back of the car has no side window.

The worst case scenario of Alvin's driving was that one time, I slowly flew out of my foldable seat as he braked pretty hard. But everything was basically all right for his driving.

So we all went to the K-Box at Chua Chu Kang's Lot 1 Shopping Mall. Junlong arrived later on his own.

We sang karaoke with all our fill throughout the night and till past midnight...

Alvin seem that he was trying to destroy his voice. He simply kept singing and singing even though he seriously zhao sia (tone incorrect) liao.

Junlong, as usual, switched off and went to sleep after past midnight after he went hoarse on his voice singing all those songs, especially the rock genre.

I'm glad that my singing has improved (I think).

The only bad thing is that we think that the K-Box services standards dropped quite alot. New songs' music videos or karaoke videos were not out as often as before .

Most weren't updated to the trends nowadays. We were a bit disappointed with the range of new songs we could choose.

At 3pm, the karaoke party ends.

The U-Turn Collision: Last Saturday past midnight till early morning hours.

We took the goods car back Bukit Batok and parked it back at Chee Wee's neighbourhood multi-storey carpark.

There we prepared ourselves for a vehicle change. It was about 4am then.

Hong Yun had drove to party elsewhere with his police acadaemy mates. He drove his car to Chee Wee's place to fetch us in his rented car.

But when we saw him. He looked pretty tired and sickly. He said he was not feeling well and was feeling giddy.

He can't even get out of his car on his own. His legs were wobbly. We all needed to hold him out to let him sit on the kerb of the road.

We all wondered how he drove his way here in his condition. We all feared for his safety.

I think Hong Yun was having a fatigue. A mixture of not enough sleep, slight hunger and perhaps he caught a slght chill before he came there. Think he chiong too much after he came out of camp. All these add-on to his bad condition.

So it was Huimin who did the driving as Alvin didn't know how to drive the auto-geared car also. There was an over-load of 6 passengers (including the driver) in the car.

So at first, we drove to the petrol station near Chee Wee's place to get some food, water, Panadol ActiFast medicine for Hong Yun.

We planned to head for Mount Faber then. Hong Yun persisted that he did not need to go see a doctor. So we decided that if Hong Yun still feels sick , we could have drive him to a clinic or hospital.

(Crazy NSF men don't simply don't wanna wast their time when they're out of their camps huh?)

But all these plans, were all ruined, by OUR car accident.

Just when we only left the petrol station, heading for a traffic junction and was about to U-turn, we met an accident!

Everything went so fast. Just in about a second, Huimin drove around to U-turn. Before Alvin or Chee Wee could warn about anything, a bloody yellow CityCab zoomed into my sight, and our front left was hit by that cab.

(Quite scary for that moment, actually.)

We were all all right in our car as our car simply bounced right as we were driving pretty slow. Chee Wee only was the only one having the slight bump on top of his head.

But as the CityCab driver was driving so fast, his cab reflected from hitting our car from ITS OWN FORCE and it went straight for a pole of a street sign.

(Surprisingly, though the pole was hit, it was not dented. It was only tilted which caused the street sign on top, which I think was not fixed, to drop off from its two poles)

The CityCab front was damaged after it headed straight into the road sign. The cab's front was indent with a V-shape.

What I saw next? The bloody attitude cab driver (the cab driver was okay. No blood. He was all right) steadily walked out of his vehicle with his left hand holding a piece of cake or bread and he was still munching on it! And he was giving us with an attitude face!

Slightly stunned after the accident, we told Huimin to drive our car to the left side of the street. Huimin was definitely stunned by the accident also.

Huimin drove the car to the side and all of us got out of the car and switched off the engine. We also had to get Hong Yun out of the car and he was still wobbly. We sat him on the side of the road kerb.

So what happened after that? The CityCab driver was confident, giving us that darn bastardised attitude and look that it was "totally not his fault". He said that it wasn't his fault that the accident happened.

What he said was true. By law and traffic rules, he was playing by the book. It was a green light at the traffic junction, the cabbie has the right to go first before Huimin U-turned. Huimin should not U-turn also.

The cab also did not signalled anything to display that he was turning as to that it made Huimin's judgement incorrect then. It was by law, Huimin was at the accident's primary fault.

But the bloody cab driver was driving so fast, it was impossible for both drivers to react to avoid collision. By judging distance, the cab was about 30 metres away when people in our car saw it a second before the accident. (I think the cabbie might have hit 70 kilometres per hour then.)

By strict, standard caution on cabbies, the bloody cabbie should have slowed down. Even though he was on his lane. I can say that by sense, the cabbie is on the secondary fault also. What he did was also considered reckless.

What I didn't like about the cabbie was his fucking attitude. Like he's totally right. I really hoped he died after that collision, choking on his own bread or cake.

With such arrogance on the road, its no wonder that cabbies are governed by extreme strict code of conduct, caution and performance on the road induced by the government.

This is simply because some cabbies, driving on the road for so long and being experienced drivers, would be over-confident and take risks on the road. Like this bloody cabbie.

The arrogant cabbie wanted to call the police as well as his fellow cabbies (as the accident involves government property damaged, the street sign) while we were still trying to settle down what to do.

But before he really did call the police, a passing police car came also. Then reinforced by another.

Huimin was worried then. Worried about the seriousness of this accident that it may revoke her driving license. We tried to calm her down.

Chee Wee went home first due to secretive circumstances.

After that, the police left. We exchanged particulars with the cabbie so that we could claimed from our respective insurance. But when Alvin apporached the bloody cabbie, the cabbie initially refused to comply giving Alvin his particulars, claiming that it was not his business (and we already gave him ours)!

But with help from his fellow cabbies, he finally gave in.

(Fucked up cabbie right?)

With Hong Yun's rented car's front left signal damaged, and the front bumper coming out, Huimin slowly drove Hong Yun and I back to Chee Wee's place first. Chee Wee and I took Hong Yun up to his place and rest first as Hong Yun was still not feeling well.

Junlong, Alvin and Huimin drove the car to Hong Yun's place to park and later headed for the neighbourhood police centre to report the accident case.

While at Chee Wee's home, we rested. After talking for a while about the incident, and about keeping the accident a secret from both Huimin and Chee Wee's families (as they were relatives), Chee Wee went to sleep in his room, while Hong Yun slept at the sofa in the living room.

I was also in the living room, but I couldn't sleep. As I was still worried about how the rest of the people are doing at the police centre. Anyway, they also called back to get some details from Hong Yun. I had to help Hong Yun to talk to them as I wanted Hong Yun to have more rest as he was still not feeling well.

So I basically was in half-sleeping status on the sofa seat (basically not sleeping also). I was still talking to Junlong over the phone about some details when Chee Wee's parents woke up.

I was worried that they over-hear anything, so I went into the toilet to talk.

But then I realised what I did was nonsense as it was most probably Chee Wee's parents coulsn't understand English also. So I came out of the toilet.

(I am a bad liar. So I rather don't talk about anything if you asked me to lie.)

So I sat back to my sofa seat again and later pick up calls from Junlong. It was already 7am plus when they finally finished their case report at the neighbourhood police centre.

And later used Chee Wee's PC to check locations of POSB bank branches online as I would be going to get my pay cheque at Tanjong Pagar later at about 10am. I needed to bank in the cheque immediately as I had almost an empty ledger in my bank balance then.

The bank only opens for half-working day on that Saturday. So I must do all my finance stuff within that morning so I could get to use the money on Monday today.

At 8am, Chee Wee's brother, Wei Jian, had already woke up. Deciding not to bother Chee Wee's beauty sleep anymore, I asked Wee Jian to open the door for me to leave.

It was already about 8am when I left to take a bus back home.

To Be Continued... (On Next Blog)

~x$x~ K-Pool ~x$x~

Yesterday, Thursday afternoon.

I went to Lot 1 Shopping Mall at Choa Chu Kang yesterday afternoon to meet up with Elvin.

I wore my new brown cap to "test" it out.

He was bored, and I was bored. So we decided to go out anyway. In the end, we ended up playing pool at the K-Pool for about two hours.

We had fun. Challenging each other. Suaning each other.

I argued with him that I'm a more "professional" player than him being more of a amateur-rookie even though we won the games almost evenly (I won him more). I said it was just that the K-Pool table sucks as it lack density on its cushion, making less traction for the balls.

But he didn't believe me and thought I was trying for some excuse for my mistakes.

When I simply ignored his nonsense he always gives me and continued playing.

A "professional" don't argue so much with an amateur-rookie.

So the pool session ends, with a total cost of $18!

X P

What a burn in pocket! A big waste of money especially when the tables are in such sucky conditions!

Next time, no more K-Pool unless got 3 people or more playing...

NS Provisions Shopping.

Yesterday, Wednesday afternoon.

I went shopping along with Alvin and Elvin at the famous army market yesterday to buy some provisions for our days at Tekong.

We were suppose to be meeting at the 3pm.

But both were late when I arrived at town already. And surprisingly, with the similiarity in their names, when I asked them where were they? Both were somewhere at Bukit Gombak.

Elvin headed straight for the army market instead. It was somewhere near the Lavender MRT station.

So while waiting at Bugis for Alvin, I went to have an hour play of LAN gaming at the LAN shop at base level in PARCO Bugis Junction.

Alvin planned to to meet me at Bugis. And initially, I thought he was going to take a bus there or something.

But then when he arrived, and was out of the MRT ticket gantries. He told me to walk us to the army market.

And it was then I realised that he thought we were suppose to walk to the army market from Bugis. But in fact, it should be from Lavender MRT station...

So anyway, we took the in the MRT train again (while Alvin was saying about the waste of transport money... ha ha).

So we finally arrived at the place, and met Elvin at the army market, who was drinking mutton soup at the hawker centre there.

I was a quick buyer. I immediately went to the muslim Indian uncle's shop where he gave discounts. I bought a set of the ziploc bags and a medium-size talcum powder.

But I was careful not to buy any other things unnecessary, not right or of bad bargain as from the account experiences from my friends whom I was with at the last visit after my Graduation Day.

Elvin, however, took his consumer trust on a Chinese owned shop. The Chinese couple owners however was saying that the Indian uncle's shop was no good because there didn't display pricings on their items, only to be said by mouth and then attract people like me with drastic discounts.

Both the different shop owners were saying they were both bad-mouthing about each other.

And I think this has scared away consumers like Alvin (who prefers to stay totally out of your business battles), who did not buy anything at the army market(a bit weird hor he? Came all the way there but bought nothing. I think he's upset over something. But I don't know what it is really.)

I see no point in all marketing strategy differences this. Displaying your pricings or only saying them then later give discounts. When it all came down to the totals, at most (to me), the difference was nothing much of few tens of cents.

Harmony begets prosperity. If they had worked together on maybe some items packages, they both may have benefit.

Elvin in the end, bought all his stuff from the Chinese shop owner. He bought more stuff than me. But I prefer not buy all the words or more stuff from any shop owners.

Just have to see what I really need and buy the stuff there when I went into Tekong myself.

After the army market, Alvin, Elvin and I took the train. Alvin went to meet his friends at Orchard, while I went back to Bugis with Elvin to buy a new cap for myself.

I've always wanted a white cap with a relatively big N.Y. (New York) insignia centralised in front of the cap, I saw used as a love object in the Japanese and Korean movie. Friends.

I went straight to the 77th Street shop at PARCO Bugis Junction. I remember I saw it once at the Jurong Point branch. But at the Bugis branch, I didn't find it.

Instead, I bought a brown cap with a small N.Y. insignia on the front right of the cap. I like it. I think its colour suits the time of this "autumn" season. Its more "rock" looking rather that hip-hop I think.

I'll hunt for that N.Y. white cap the next time

; P

Japanese Working Regimentation!


 

"Hail to the the Japanese workaholistic attitude!"
It is as high-handed dominating like the Japanese Imperial Army and working attitude like Communism!

Yesterday, Monday.

I went to work for a one day temporary stock-taking job along with Elvin and his friend named Chang Xing.

We all thought it was going to be typical temporary job, but it was not.

We're in for a working culture shock, Japanese style.

The comapny we're working temporary for was a small Japanese departmental store named Daiso at the IMM building. It sell its items at each $2.

When we're in there, along with about 50 or more other stock-takers like us. We were ordered to put our bags, handphones denied and "fall in", were separated into different details under a Daiso permanent staff leader.

The orders were given by mainly, there are three Japanese men. They were the one store manager, and his two assistant managers, all of typically Japanese with their typical working discipline.

The store manager looks like a Yokohama rooster who speaks purely Japanese language must be translated by his fellow Japanese worker. Another one looks older and mature but he looked more kind. Another is botak one. He is strict but is very understanding of people.

They wanted all stock-takers not only to count "accurately" all the items in different sessions of their store, but also follow a disciplinary code of call and respond to all their staff.

It was simply a Japanese working REGIMENTATION.

So when we're questioned, we must say "YES!" or "OK!" loudly and clearly.

We count the number of items at a set of a store shelf, and then must shout the amount of stock to the Daiso staff leader assigned to us.

For example, when we counted a number of 28 stock. We must shout "28!" to the leader, then the leader question back "28?!", then we must shout back "OK!!" to confirm them, then they recorded down the number of stock.

We were "scrutinised" to count accurately, but most of my fellow workers bo chup. At this like of "machine life", how to be bothered on their "motivation"?

Worse, I'm counting one of the toughest stuffs. Stacked-IN cassette tapes (I doubt any one would buy it for for one at $2) in a shelve. Hundreds of them, dusty, hard to reach, hard to count. I had to take them out little by little into a shopping basket to count them.

I took about 3 to 4 hours to count finished that whole shelf alone.

More worse, for 2 hours when I'm counting the lower part of that shelf. I can't even sit. We're not allow to sit down, at most half-squat or squat. I was suffering then.

What's the worst?

I had to differentiate those bloody tapes by their minutes recording lengths, by brand and by type, when there are all in a big mess!

By the end of the day, I had to get several of my fellow workers to help me to do the catergorisation. The botak Japanese assistant manager even called Chang Xing and other temporary or their Daiso staff to help me with the job, as they were opening at 5pm soon.

In the end, we had to quickly tie up all the tape we catergorised (and we haven't finished the catergorisation yet) because it was only about 10 minutes away from 5pm, when our working time ends.

So the botak Japanese assistant manager became anxious and quickly joined in our force.

Wah lau... They can't even bear to waste a few minutes of labour from us isn't?

Puntuality and attitude were also very important to them that even if we're late for a second, or we give attitude problem to them, we could be immediately fired, without our pay or what so ever.

So when we "fall in" for breaks, lunch-time and for work, we all must be on time.

But anyway, this regimentation made me "woke up" and realised what I will be going through for my BMT... This feeling of "regimentation" was lost quite a long time ago since my NCC days...

Passionately Thrilling Movie & Mahjong Tiles.

Yesterday, Saturday evening.

The gang of Weekend 3456 is back! Hong Yun, Bryan, Alvin, Chee Wee, Junlong and I formed the new boyband of Weekend 3456!

Why called Weekend 3456? Simply becos' there was sometime 3, 4, 5 or 6 people together!

Forgive my nonsense. I'm just trying to start.

Anyway, yesterday evening we all went for a movie at Lido at Shaw House, Orchard Road.

Initially I was wondering why we a bunch of guys were going to watch the romance movie, Wicker Park.

I felt it was strange for guys watching romance movie together (but still I joined as there's nothing to fear in a gang.... Muahahaha!)

But then I realised it was a romance thriller.


 

Love makes you do crazy things... Too bad not alot of bed scenes were cut... : p

Wicker Park: The Movie Review.

The romance thriller wasn't not bad actually.

Romantically intense. Though intially I wasn't had no idea where this guy was going.

The visual thrill brought to audience by mirror or double images made the movie artistic to watch. And yes again, the use of "camera within camera" perspectives.

It was simply about a man named Matthew (acted by Josh Harnett), caught in a obsessive search for one woman he deeply felt in love with, Lisa modern dancer, who "left" him suddenly.

But after a few years when caught a glimpse of her again at a bar restaurant. He desperately searches for her but didn't found, but met another woman also named "Lisa

But from this "Lisa", he realised she was the the missing link and the cause to the missing of his real beloved Lisa...

Yesterday, Saturday night.

After the movie, only Chee Wee, Hong Yun and I went to Huimin's house to play with Huimin's brother, Siwei. Alvin also did came along but he only came to play the piano and use the PC there. Bryan and Junlong went home instead.

But we waited and waited till about 1am plus before everyone was ready for the mahjong session.

Sadly, we only played one round and that's all it is as Siwei and his rest of the family were on a family wedding celebration the next day and had to sleep early.

Maybe I also cause the whole gaming session a bit sian as I "tiau zheng" (stuck being the banker) for many games, but only winning small.

But I was big winner, winning about a total of only $2 where all is returned to Alvin as I owed him.

* * * Star Gazing * * *

Last night...

I'm feeling a bit tired today as I only slept about 7 hours last night.

Because I was star gazing last night at about 2.30am to 3.30am.

Yes, the sensuous me again.

My horoscope says I'll be a little emotional when the stars are in place, and how right it is!

But the sight of starry constellations yesterday was simply to awesome and irriesistable for me to ignore.

The skies were clear, without a single night cloud.

The heavens' window opened for me last night, to see the heavens. I was on my bed by my room's window side, looking up...


 

My window to the stars... (Can't see the stars? Click on the image to see)

How many people are willing to stop their pace of life to see such rarity from the heavens?

I always thought that only in country sides, I'm then able to see the full mesmerising stars of the heavenly nights. I always thought its very hard to see all the stars surrounded by city lights.

But as till last night, I only realised that even in the city, I can see all the stars.

I just have to open and relax my mind, to view the heaven's elements with all my senses.

Though a bit tired, it was all worth it. Cos' I may not know when I will see such a sight the next time...

Sushi Oishii Desu Ka?

Yesterday, Thursday afternoon.

I went for a sushi eating session with Alvin and Huimin yesterday. Huimin picked me up with her rented car where Alvin was also in the car.

I didn't consider the sushi eating session my lunch because I had my lunch.It was more like an afternoon tea. But I still could afford to eat because I didn't have my breakfast.

So I treated my lunch as my "breakfast", the sushi afternoon tea as my "lunch".

Anyway, we headed for Bugis. I guided Huimin to drive towards the AYE by Jurong Town Hall Road. Then via AYE to AYE-ECP.

I told Huimin to exit the AYE-ECP's at an earlier exit of the expressway, near the Keppel area, as I'm not very confident I remembered there's an exit to Bugis at a later session of the ECP.

So we drive and drive through slowly through the office commercial areas in the city through Robinson Road, then across the river by using the Esplanade Bridge.

We went straight smoothly till we missed the entry to the Middle Road!

Argh! And I thought Huimin already knew we should turn right!

I realised a problem with most fresh drivers. They don't see the road signs. And I thought woman should recognise directions by recognising landmarks (that's how their brain works actually) as we already saw the prominent Shaw Tower we frequented so often in the Bugis area.

But anyway, we had to be detoured along way as there's no way we could U-turn. The only good think about the detour is that we could top-up the car's gas. The bad think is that we had to enter the ERP gantry again (Argh!).

So we finally reached Huimin's new NAFA campus, at the School of Visual Arts building to park her car. She got a class later in the evening (Duh! No wonder we had to be in Bugis right?).

We walked our way to PARCO Bugis Junction. Where we headed for the second level where the we would have our sushi at the Sakae Sushi restaurant there.

Its really quite a long time for me when I ate sushi the last time. It was almost a year I think.

I really enjoyed my time with Alvin and Huimin as we had our food, fun and chat.

The typical cute woman vainity displayed by Huimin when she kept taking photos with her new Motorola camera handphone proved to be an unbearable humour for me as I laughed at her.

She's already pretty enough, especially with her new hair style which matches her.

In my mind was, "We (Alvin and I) know it already! Enough!"

Relatively big-sized Alvin was hungry and he sure stuffed himself with a whole lot of goodies.

After our sushi session, we went for a short shopping trip around the Bugis Junction mall, for Huimin wanted a new handphone punch. She favoured pink, mao-mao, furry and anything Winnie the Pooh.

So we went around the mall finding nothing to her liking. So we went to Bugis Village to shop also but still found nothing.

Well, sometimes in life, we just have to find something to the best of our liking.

So we accompanied Huimin back to her campus building after that before Alvin and I went to the Sim Lim Square where Alvin was searching for something.

After that we went back to Bugis Junction as I wanted to paly LAN game, CounterStrike, to "kill" (I'm a certified LAN gaming addict I know. But do you know I can't play PC games at home except surfing net?).

Why the sudden urge to "kill"?

I don't know. I definitely know I'm not very stressed recently as to angst me to have the ugre to "kill".

Maybe its the place, Bugis, as I always felt that I left something behind at this place somehow...

Afternoon Coffee?

Yesterday, Wedneday afternoon.

I went for an afternoon tea or should I say coffee session with Elvin at Bukit Batok's Westmall Shopping Mall yesterday.

Though it wasn't much of a coffee session, we still chatted alot like buddies.

Instead before our coffee session we went for a short walk touring around the mall, before we ended up at the arcade's LAN gaming area to play. I convinced him that using $10 each to play arcade was worth the money to the time we can waste, especially when we're not good at arcade games.

So we ended playing LAN games instead, and we did have fun.

At the late afternoon, we finally we went down the mall to the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf house to drink coffee and to chat.

I ordered a regular warm Cafe Latte. But Elvin ordered a small cup of Double Espresso coffee (with the cup diameter only about 5 cm and height about 6cm)!

Wah piang!

I really got a surprise when I saw him taking his coffee cup to our table. Then I started to laugh at his mistake.

Next time we drink warm coffee, I'm going to neighbourhood coffeeshop to lim kopi with him. No more coffee house unless he's ordering iced coffee.

So our whole coffee session only lasted about 30 minutes or so.

Unsatisfied with that short time with our primary mission to enjoy our coffee time for the day, we went back to the LAN gaming area at the arcade again to play more.

After that, we went home our separate ways.

But before we go, he said that next time we meet, it'll be at Choa Chu Kang's Lot 1 Shopping Mall.

I disagreed.

But I said its too far away for me, and its too close to him. It's "unfair". Westmall is a good place for both of us to meet as it is of "equidistant" by MRT transit line (but it'll be shorter distance for me if I take the bus. Hee!)

Anyway, until next time then we settle the place to meet bah.

Life is Waiting.


 

I'm waiting for my Destiny. So what are you waiting for?

Yesterday, Tuesday evening.

Watched the Steven Spielbergs' movie, The Terminal, with my brother, cousin Vei, yesterday.

I love it and I really enjoyed it!

The Terminal: The Movie Story.

Tom Hanks acted as Viktor Navorski. A man from a lesser known country of Eastern Europe visiting New York City, whose homeland erupts into a coup while he was heading for the United States of America in the plane.

He became stranded at John F. Kennedy International Airport with a passport from nowhere, as his country was not recognised.

Unauthorised to actually enter the United States nor can he leave the airport back home, he improvised his days and nights in the terminal's international transit lounge.

So his days of waiting started, for his time to enter New York City, and for the war at his country to be over.

There and then, he slowly made his way to live on the terminal, following the rules and laws as to stay on the terminal, living at the unrenovated Gate 67, his temporary home, he even learned better English there!

This in turn, worn out the welcome of the airport official, Frank Dixon, who considers Viktor a bureaucratic glitch, a problem the latter could not control but desparately wanted to erase in his terminal.

So Dixon tried to made life difficult or perhaps easily illegal for Viktor at first. But Viktor stays on, finding his way to earn a living from newly made friends, and even find a good job at the terminal.

Frustrated, Dixon, decided to let him stay. But he also tried to made sure that Viktor will not reach the doors to the official New York City which was just less than a foot away.

Time past from days, to weeks, to months, Viktor finds the compresssed universe of the terminal to be a richly complex world of absurdity, generousity, ambition, amusement, status, serendipity and even romance with a beautiful filight attendant named Amelia.

But in the end, it was for the goal of entering New York City, as to realise a dream of his passing father's wish to collect the signatures of all but one Jazz musician, that Viktor has to end his beautiful relationship with the people of the terminal.

His father had the taste of the Big Apple through the music of Jazz.

But Viktor had the taste of the Big Apple through its people, the New Yorkers at the terminal.

The Terminal: The Movie Review.

It was a brilliant movie I say. Steven Spielberg certainly lives up to his name. So does Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones, the brillant lead. And also, acting as the antagonistic airport official, Stanley Tucci.

The story was also good as well, even though it was to cover the story time frame of almost a year, the movie nicely summarised it.

The colossal set of the terminal stage was very nicely done, making audience feel that's its of a real true perfect terminal. Not bad for the world's second largest movie set (I think the largest movie set is still of the movie, Titanic).

The shooting style of Spielberg certainly made the movie lively. That continuous motion of his camera perspective. Certainly made the airport lively and busy as of its continuous human traffic. So does his nice cuts of editing using the conventional film.

That mirrored glass image of Viktor to the N.Y.C. official limit was absolutely great. Of course, Tom Hanks' great acting also helped.

The story's similiarity and familiarity felt the same, as to the movie, The Truman Show. In artistic use, both The Terminal and The Truman Show made use of "camera within camera" to form a different perspective to the audience.

Both were about protagonists struggling in a small world. But there was a difference.

One is struggle to the realisation of freedom.

The Terminal was a struggle to realise someone's dream.

"To struggle is a process, and in a process we learn about life." ~ Eiizumi

Ok, I Need Another Job.

I suddenly realised I need another job.

Not that I really need more money now, I realised that I need a job to keep myself active and occupied.

I could have have fun for the rest of my days before my NS enlistment. But sadly, I am almost without any friends around to keep me for company.

Most of the guys or the male friends were all in National Service. They could only come out on the weekdays. I could meet them only on the weekends.

Even those who were also pending to NS enlistment were busy.

Busy with what?

Some were busy accompanying their girlfriends and also, they have work.

The gals, or my female friends, though not liable to National Service, they have their daytime jobs. Not to mention I'm too lazy, wimp or whatever to ask them out also, because I don't frequently ask them out.

Felt so pai seh like that if suddenly ask them out just because I'm bored alone.

So I've decided to get some more short-term temporary jobs from my job agent, Derrick or other job lobangs from my friends.

I rather be active and occupied outside to earn more money than rotting my ass off at home. Its just too boring at home.

Or my mother will start to view me as some sort of "parasite" at home, again.

To think of it, its no harm earning more money for use in the future.

: P

Conclusion to My NJRC Job.

Ah... Finally completed my job at the NJRC 2004 as a team coordinator.

Frankly speaking, this job really made me felt like I was some sort of holiday day camp leader, going around interacting with people from my fellow colleagues, teenagers and children.

I pretty enjoyed the whole event actually.

The team coordinators were quite a united and a fun bunch. The people I met along the way and the things we did was a nice experience.

I didn't remember all their names matching to their faces (I remember their faces but got problems remembering and matching names to faces, as most of my friends know).

So let me try naming and describe the impressions of some of the team coordinators and others I've met and remembered (I'm too lazy to descibe them too long, so no offence).

For coordinators, there's more than what I named and described. But sorry I didn't remember all their names (especially Chinese names)... Hee...

Arabic Idzani, the team coordinator supervisor: The steady one who's dedicated to her work but is also a good camaraderie builder.

Chinese Wendy, the team coordinator deputy supervisor: The kind one who is kind. Has a pretty smile.

Malay Shah, fellow coordinator, Post-NS guy: Pretty active but rather weirdly quiet at times...

Indian Thiru, fellow coordinator, Andhika's good friend: A nice guy with nice humour.

Malay Wirna, fellow coordinator, Andhika's good friend: Cool gal who doesn't talk much.

Indian Fatimah, fellow coordinator, Andhika's good friend: Warm gal who talk alot and is fast doing her work.

Indian Joanne, fellow coordinator: A choir girl who got a sweet round face.

Indian Zack, fellow coordinator: A pretty funny guy who's active.

Malay/Chinese (???) Joey (don't know spelt correctly or not either), fellow coordinator: An active guy who's hip-hop looking, mole on his face, with different colours on his hair at times. Funny guy also.

Malay Fatimah, fellow coordinator: Warm gal who's dedicated and pretty emotionally attached to people.

Chinese Jennifer, fellow coordinator: A nice, tall slim girl who's deja vu to me (looks familiar... looks like Geargina, a once fellow diploma coursemate).

Chinese Tiffany, fellow coordinator: A nice-looking girl who walks around. Looks kinda hot.

Chinese Weiting, fellow coordinator: My opposite booths neighbour.

Chinese Carom, fellow coordinator: A boyish-looking girl.

Here's more of the people from the crowd control.

Chinese Benny, a part-time debt chaser who shaved off his hair and eyebrows, attracting much attention from many kids and teenagers, especially of a bunch of girls from my teams in-charge.

Chinese Weixiang, the guy who gave ride to Andhika on his bike . He joined Thiru, Andhika and I for a few short meals after work.

And there's alot more people I met.

But as much as I am a quite a friendly person, most of them to me were acquaintances but some were newly made friends. So as you can see, what I know about most of them were pretty superficial.

Some of my fellow coordinators were pretty bonded attached to the group. But for me, its half-half. I'm trying not to be attached to such group activities bondings. Becos' I know that once I am leaving, I'll be sad.

I am a bit sad now but not real sad.

I'm learning to try not to put so much emotions into things at time.

Or else, at the end of the day we separate, I'll really shop a hell lot of gifts for the nice people again! Hee!

: p

Holiday Day Camp?

Ever since Saturday... till now.

I am so tired nowadays that I sleep earlier, even skipping my favourite TV shows...

I've been working for the Singapore Science Centre on the National Junior Robotics Competition 2004, ever since Saturday.

I am working as a team coordinator, one of the most tiring jobs at the event. Everyday I had to wake up early to take bus to the science centre.

I take my breakfast at the Cafe Rocks at the science centre everyday, accompanied by a number of new friends who are "in the same boat as me". They were all working as the same job as me.

Being a team coordinator is like being a leader, sibling, parent, nanny, friend, counsellor, all at the same time.

Tiring it is, it was still fun working with my colleagues and also visiting interestingly designed booths displays, buying things and receiving FREE GIFTS.

: p

So from Saturday to Tuesday, I was working with my fellow colleagues, and kids!

Primary school kids! Facing hundreds of them for four days, each day!

Kids. Some people didn't like kids. But hey I do love them (not when they are naughty).

Why I love them?

The interesting part is about how kids grow, progress and achieve. That kind of innocence they have lost in our adulthood. When we looked at them playing, having fun and are just being happy, we simply wonder what happened to us.

Well, when we all were kids, we didn't realised that how much trouble we are of the people took care of us (our teachers and our parents).

And now I experienced it all to some extend, with both the tastes of heaven and hell...

If you are claustrophobic with dislike of children, you should not take my job.

Now just imagine taking care of 35 kids of your own, like a teacher taking a class. Trying to call, shout, get hold of 5 of them and to make sure they don't run about while you search for others out of the chaos of the noise, laughter, fun and play of hundreds of children in an area.

It could be a heaven for them and a hell for the team coordinators.

Kids were simply running around everywhere!

Though the first day of handling kids for me was somewhat chaotic, I was still in some control. Luckily I had some experience of controlling a bunch of people in my military cadet days. But of course, I'm not using that strict military method to control and handle the kids.

From the activities they do, I realised that kids nowadays are definitely smarter and more clever, perhaps than we are when we're kids. So you got to gain their respect by being intelligent and be able to understand them, and to click with them.

I talked to them to understand them, to try and gain their respect.

When in need I simply use my loud voice to prove I'm the "boss" around. No point using violence on them also. They could just complain about you.

The cute part about kids were when you see them playing happily and haivng fun(when you got everything in control that is), and see them doing all those silly things you think you will not do now.

But we all did that silly things in the past.

Anyway, sometimes, I do have kids crying under my care because they failed to achieve their mission in their competition. Luckily, they understood my words of encouragement and was able to pick themselves up and move on.

Girls are more emotional, so they tend to cry more easily. I did see a girl crying for almost about an hour throughout. She looked like a future daughter of my friend, Vivian (looked like her sia). She was under my colleague, Shah, a Malay guy. So he got some trouble to console her, and he got to get our other female counterparts to do the "motherly love" instead.

Boys on the other hand, are more playful and active. So, I had to become a big brother to them. Just need to overwhelm your maturity and your more experience in life.

Teens. I've only taken them for two days. They were much harder to control. They're after all not small kids, but still adolescent growing into a more "independent" adulthood. Trying to "break-free".

They have more minds on their own.

For the first day was still all right. I didn't had to treat them like kids. Even though they were showing their character and attitude, all I need to do is to respect their character and attitude and show mine was stronger than theirs instead.

To show them your principles and your stand. Then, they'll respect you in return. They play with me sometimes, I had to try not to be so sensitive and go along with the game.

But for today, it was somewhat a discouraging and abit chaotic day today. The bunch of teams either were giving up (eventually gave up), or simply didn't care. Most weren't passionate about the competition after they felt that they couldn't make it to win.

Now, I realised how my favourite lecturer felt when he was teaching us our 3D animation... The passion he had in him to teach the art, lost after we lost our passion also.

Ha ha. I understand more deeply now.

So, I still got two days of holiday day camp to go. Hope I'll survive them through.

Oh, one more thing. I finally got some money from my bursary at the typical annual Leong Clan Anniversary Dinner ( all the Cantonese delicacies and painful Cantonese opera singings... Imagine hearing them for hours after you had a day of noise from the crowd of kids) on Saturday to solve my current financial stand still.

Anyway, I'm enjoying my life now.

: )

"Whatever you're involved with, you'll put your whole heart and soul into it -- and you'll get something wonderful in return."

I'll be Working like a Dog!

Hmm... Tomorrow will be the day where I start my seemingly tough job!

I'll be working everyday from 7am to 7pm, from tomorrow till 11th September, next week's Saturday.

Such long working hours and I hope I have a well, good sleep every night, so I don't end up like the puppy below!

: P


 

Awww... Isn't he cute? I should catch this movie, Quill!

Anyway, it would be highly probable that I will not be going online for the whole of the next week. So take care people!

0: )

Today, Friday afternoon.

I'm still grounded by the lack of cash thse days (but money relief will arrived for me tomorrow! Though I still can't spend it like nuts after then...) I am so bored at home either sitting in front of my PC, the telly or lying on my bed!

Dislike borrowing from my mum anyway, so I got to bear with all these boredom.

Its my life, and I need to handle it most of it myself. Its my independent spirit!

My bones got pretty lazy going at this rate everyday. So I try to exercise through workout or dancing thse days also.

But finally I managed to get out of my cozy home for a swim with Andhika this afternoon just now.

It the most "exciting" thing I could do now with very low cash reserves right now.

Well, I'll treat it as a nice, healthy "stretch" anyway : )