It is scary looking at the pictures surfacing on the Internet of New York City looking all battered and bruised with the Hurricane Sandy pounding on everyone's doorsteps and with floodwater gushing into everything underground rendering so many modes of transportation hopeless. Landmarks like Broadway had to be shut down and power outage has left the Empire State Building as that beacon of light everyone will be clinging on to. My thoughts are with all those affected.
Right now, the sky is looking overcasted and it is the perfect weather to stay home. I've wizened up and did not make any plans for the day unless I am absolutely sure that they will be met, and that usually involves setting up appointments with other people so that I will not cancel on those plans at the very last minute. And considering that today is the middle of the work day week, no one is free, and so I'm happy to stay home and catch up on some light reading, but mostly, just lazing on the bed doing nothing except look at the darkening sky with Lana Del Rey's Ride humming softly in the background. It really is the perfect companion for my day as it is so smooth, and velvety and just wraps around you making you feel safe.
Anways, the St. Jerome's Laneway Festival is coming to town next year in January and it will be the start for me to pick up the pieces of my life that has been left unhinged due to the simple reason that I was being called up for consription. I've been doing up my CV and like I said on Facebook, writing one's own curriculum vitae is akin to tooting one's own horn.
I have some interviews lined up already so hopefully all goes well, and I get to intern somewhere next year. I'm looking for experience to beef up my portfolio, hence I've been very choosy with the companies that I'm sending my resumes to. I'm looking for quality and work experience that I can be proud of, so excuse me for being choosy. And some of my friends are wondering why I'm starting out so early considering it's only October and I still have four months left before I officially leave the system behind, but I believe in starting out early and have everything planned out in order so that I don't waste any more time than I already have. Plus, I'm a Virgo, and that explains eveything.
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Wednesday 24 October 2012
There Will Be Blood
Yesterday, I got down and dirty for a paintball war at Crossfire Paintball @ Singapore Discovery Centre. It may be a game, but once I got into the arena, the only thing running through my head was that blood was going to be shed, and that the blood was not going to be from my team. And indeed, we did emerge victorious. And with war, there will be battle scars. I've got huge welts of bruises on my thighs the size of my palm and some on my arms as well.
I didn't expect myself to take the game as seriously as I did, but I placed a scenario in my head that I was a dignitary in a foreign country and my embassy was getting attacked and the only obstacle between me and survival were the group of eight masked men right in front of me. And shoot them I did, even causing one of the opposing team member to start bleeding. People know me as this quiet, genteel person in base, but give me a rifle and the paintball rounds, and I will get the job done. I managed to take down three out of eight opposing personnel in the game. That's how vicious I can get.
After the paintball session, I went down to the new mall at Buona Vista called The Star Vista with Shawn and Jonathan. The mall's name sounds so academic I think its befitting since Buona Vista is the education hub of Singapore what with the Education Ministry's headquarters being set up there, as well as other research facilities. We went to eat at the newly opened Boston Seafood Shack, and I can safely say that they probably have the freshest fish and chips that I've ever tasted here in Singapore. The portions were generous and I thought it was fairly affordable. I especially liked the decor of the eatery, what with the fish nets strewn across the ceiling, and the sailor buoys hung on the pillars within the place itself. The lighting was soft, and the advent of naturally setting sunlight in the evening was a plus point.
After that, we went to have deserts at Pinocchio. I admit the only reason we went there was because the name was cute and appealing, and as people might have realised by now, I get very excited whenever eateries, cafes or things in general uses names from childhood stories or series I've read or seen. Matilda district in Punggol is one example. I also bought plasters that were exorbitant in price just because they were a tie-in with Sesame Street. The cakes weren't outstnading, but they weren't bad. The owner was a little pesky; a nice middle-aged man who justified the pricing of his cafe as though he was a used car salesman. The blackforest cake that Shawn had was good it tasted so much like nostalgia; from those quaint neighbourhood cake shops with their neon-lit signs.
I didn't expect myself to take the game as seriously as I did, but I placed a scenario in my head that I was a dignitary in a foreign country and my embassy was getting attacked and the only obstacle between me and survival were the group of eight masked men right in front of me. And shoot them I did, even causing one of the opposing team member to start bleeding. People know me as this quiet, genteel person in base, but give me a rifle and the paintball rounds, and I will get the job done. I managed to take down three out of eight opposing personnel in the game. That's how vicious I can get.
After the paintball session, I went down to the new mall at Buona Vista called The Star Vista with Shawn and Jonathan. The mall's name sounds so academic I think its befitting since Buona Vista is the education hub of Singapore what with the Education Ministry's headquarters being set up there, as well as other research facilities. We went to eat at the newly opened Boston Seafood Shack, and I can safely say that they probably have the freshest fish and chips that I've ever tasted here in Singapore. The portions were generous and I thought it was fairly affordable. I especially liked the decor of the eatery, what with the fish nets strewn across the ceiling, and the sailor buoys hung on the pillars within the place itself. The lighting was soft, and the advent of naturally setting sunlight in the evening was a plus point.
After that, we went to have deserts at Pinocchio. I admit the only reason we went there was because the name was cute and appealing, and as people might have realised by now, I get very excited whenever eateries, cafes or things in general uses names from childhood stories or series I've read or seen. Matilda district in Punggol is one example. I also bought plasters that were exorbitant in price just because they were a tie-in with Sesame Street. The cakes weren't outstnading, but they weren't bad. The owner was a little pesky; a nice middle-aged man who justified the pricing of his cafe as though he was a used car salesman. The blackforest cake that Shawn had was good it tasted so much like nostalgia; from those quaint neighbourhood cake shops with their neon-lit signs.
Today felt a lot as though I was rushing for time for everything. Wednesdays are always a hassle. It's the equivalent of a Sunday night if I were still back in JC, trying to finish all the work and maintaining a semblance of normal life. I was running around trying to accomplish as many things as possible and it was simply exhausting. We were released late from base since there was a last minute vaccination exercise. Then, we were told to tidy up our bearings since the Fleet Commander would be visitng the base soon. On top of that, I had to return my library books, download a few items for mounting, and renew my passport. It was indeed a hectic day.
Sunday 21 October 2012
Laura, You're More Than A Superstar
Today the weather is splendidly wonderful I am spending time at home just wrapping myself up with a pullover and a cup of hot tea. There was a thunderstorm earlier and it made for a nice wake-up call as I got awoken to rainwater splashing on my face despite the considerable distance from the open window to my bed. It's been quite some time since I really took the time to listen to some music, and not just listening to them as I commute from one place to another, so I decided that today is the day that I blast out some tunes and just let loose in my room, no inhibitions whatsoever.
Grizzly Bear - Yet Again
"Take it all and strike. Speak don't confide. Barely had a chase. It's done before we try. Stop it and deny. Does it end your phase?"
I decided first to listen to Grizzly Bear's new album, Shield, which I've had for a while now and I found a track that I really liked called Yet Again. The music just consumes you and there's such a lush feeling and undertone to it I cannot help but feel myself being cocooned inside this warm , fuzzy cloak of sweet goodness.
Bat For Lashes - Laura
"You're the train that crashed my heart. You're the glitter in the dark. Ooh, Laura, you're more than a superstar."
Then I decided to listen to The Haunted Men by Bat For Lashes. Natasha Khan is such a wonderful singer I've adored her since secondary school when no one in school even knew who she was. Her songs are just so fragile and gloomy and transient you just feel for it, and you're swept away into her tunes. Laura is my favourite song so far; it is just love at first hearing.
Yesterday though, was a day that I spent outside. I met up with Erfi and Asaad and we had dinner at Eighteen Chefs. The double cheese combination of rice sprinkled with more Parmesan cheese atop was far more than my stomach could handle and I had to face the ramifications of it later into the night. We intended to have supper at Domino's Pizza but parking was such a hassle I bought P.osh brownies in the end which I gave to the both of them as I rushed out the car and into my apartment to have a little date with the bowl.
Saturday 20 October 2012
Sora Choi
This post is dedicated to the beautiful goddess, Sora Choi. Just marvel in her beauty. No explanations needed. Korea's Next Top Model, a show I watched but don't fully understand, has produced a stellar winner.
Now, I believe in the beauty of Asian women.
The Perks Of Being A Walflower
On Friday, Asaad and I watched The Perks Of Being A Wallflower and there were so many feelings that washed over me throughout the entire time in the cinema. After getting over Emma Watson's neither-here-nor-there accent, I began to truly appreciate the film as it was rolling in front of me. For I did not read Chbosky's book prior to this, I had no basis of comparison, which is good, because then I could truly appreciate this gem of a film. If the eighties had The Breakfast Club, then I truly believe that The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is the movie that could define a generation, specifically, my generation.
The nineties and the noughties, to me, are close in relations because there is not much difference between the two, and perhaps also because I distinctly remember these two decades very well. I am a child of both era, and I remembered a time when Internet connection was slow, and you had to use the dial-up service. I also remembered using my grandfather's typewriter because I was the only one who was brave enough to get his permission to use it.
Aside from technological advances, I believe the issues that the characters faced hit somewhat close to home, and that's probably the reason why the film resonated with me so much. There are facades of each character that I could identify with and the problems they faced seemed real, and unforgiving, and all-encompassing. Their hopes and their fears, their joy and their happiness, their carefree life and the deep dark secrets they harbour; it seems like it could very well have been mine.
It could have been my story, my friends, my life.
For some reason, I am thankful that the film came out now, when I am at an age where I could fully comprehend it. Should it have been made earlier, I would squirm with discomfort, thinking about the things that could happen in my future. Now that I have gone through some of those life experiences, I could appreciate the nuances shown in the film; its depth and the rigour with which it delves into the human psyche. Perhaps, for some reason, despite the dark subject matter; the abuse, the humiliation, the loss, what matters most is that the film ended on a hopeful note, and that hopefulness extends out to moviegoers that identified with the film. We all need that little glimmer of hope to sustain us through the darkest of days, I believe.
The nineties and the noughties, to me, are close in relations because there is not much difference between the two, and perhaps also because I distinctly remember these two decades very well. I am a child of both era, and I remembered a time when Internet connection was slow, and you had to use the dial-up service. I also remembered using my grandfather's typewriter because I was the only one who was brave enough to get his permission to use it.
Aside from technological advances, I believe the issues that the characters faced hit somewhat close to home, and that's probably the reason why the film resonated with me so much. There are facades of each character that I could identify with and the problems they faced seemed real, and unforgiving, and all-encompassing. Their hopes and their fears, their joy and their happiness, their carefree life and the deep dark secrets they harbour; it seems like it could very well have been mine.
It could have been my story, my friends, my life.
For some reason, I am thankful that the film came out now, when I am at an age where I could fully comprehend it. Should it have been made earlier, I would squirm with discomfort, thinking about the things that could happen in my future. Now that I have gone through some of those life experiences, I could appreciate the nuances shown in the film; its depth and the rigour with which it delves into the human psyche. Perhaps, for some reason, despite the dark subject matter; the abuse, the humiliation, the loss, what matters most is that the film ended on a hopeful note, and that hopefulness extends out to moviegoers that identified with the film. We all need that little glimmer of hope to sustain us through the darkest of days, I believe.
Friday 19 October 2012
Beliefs & Happy Endings
I believe everyone is complex, some more so than others, and circumstances, and experiences in life shape who you are as a person. As I'm writing this, I am shaking with anger, with disappointment, with a sense of faded hope for the future. I've thought about my life, what I have accomplished, what I want more out of life. The things I want to see, and do and experience. And I foresee a future where I weed out all the negatives from my life, and live the life as it pans out for me.
People have often found me peculiar. Many don't say it outright, but I have a feeling that people are thinking about it. My own family members have voiced their concerns, about who I am as a person, who I want to be, and I always shrugged it off, because I don't think I need to be defined by people's expectations of me, and I shouldn't have the need to explain myself to people all around me. Sometimes, I feel like I'm living a double life; who I really am, and someone whom I project out for the world to see. I think it's better to sort out one's own problems, than saddle people around you with them. To that end, I don't see the need to label myself as 'such' and 'such' because I believe everything will come into its own one day and I'm hopeful for that.
Then there's that question of faith. I've had my share of lingering stares whenever I don't go for the Friday prayers, as dictated within the Koran. I believe in God, yet I am not practising. Sometimes I feel part of the reason I am the way I am is because I am jaded with people's take on religion. You are either good, or you are bad. Because you don't do this, you are bad. Because you do this, then five points for you.
Do people practise because they are honest in their beliefs, or is it because it's something that they were told to do? I don't see the point of putting up a front by doing certain things just so you can feel better about yourself and about your relationship with God. Just so that you feel it is within your right to tell others of what they're supposed to do. Some people; they don't live by the pillars and the virtues of Islam, yet find it within themselves to criticise others. I have come across many a character like that, and sometimes, I would love to call it as it is, but I held back. I believe in salvation, yes I do, but I also believe that religion is a personal thing. You're born alone, and you die alone and that's the reality of things.
I foresee the future in University where I will be faced with this dilemma once again. Somehow, one person has made a proposition for me to join a Muslim Society, just because I am one. Does that mean I should join the Boys' Brigade because I am a boy? Such a reasoning is flawed. I am going out on a limb here by saying that chances are, activities would involve preaching, games where the genders are divided, and a slew of other restrictions. I cannot live by that cardinal rule. I feel that to join such a society seems like a showy thing to do, a proclamation that "I joined and you didn't and therefore I have a reason to judge you."
Then there's this whole another thing called 'Family'. Friends find it amusing to learn about my squabbles with either my parents or my sister but for me, the root of the issue is that I've never felt like I belonged, ever. The only thing we have in common is that strand of DNA, and the fact that my parents consummated to have me. I'm not saying they're bad parents. They clothed me and they fed me, but I've always felt like I could live without them, and I had. For the first twelve years of my life, in fact. When my grandmother died, I learned about loss at a young age and I dealt with it and I've moved on.
Because my parents were working most of the time, I never had an emotional connection to them. They were people I called 'mom' and 'dad' because I was told to call them that. There is no affection from me to them. In fact, during Basic Military Training, as my fellow recruits phoned home crying, I was there, on the phone, with my good friend on the other line. I never did call them throughout my time there, except once, where we were made to call home to say that the first day of training was over. I didn't feel any sadness when my sister left for Australia to study and I am in fact angry that I won't have the chance to be the one saying the sayonaras next year.
I place more importance on friends, and the traditionalist's view on this is that it's unhealthy. Family should always be your priority because friends come and go. But I believe friends are family members you choose, and you better make an effort to treasure them. And the fact is, I am a loner by personality so even if I were to get deserted, I'd still have myself at the end of the day.
People have often found me peculiar. Many don't say it outright, but I have a feeling that people are thinking about it. My own family members have voiced their concerns, about who I am as a person, who I want to be, and I always shrugged it off, because I don't think I need to be defined by people's expectations of me, and I shouldn't have the need to explain myself to people all around me. Sometimes, I feel like I'm living a double life; who I really am, and someone whom I project out for the world to see. I think it's better to sort out one's own problems, than saddle people around you with them. To that end, I don't see the need to label myself as 'such' and 'such' because I believe everything will come into its own one day and I'm hopeful for that.
Then there's that question of faith. I've had my share of lingering stares whenever I don't go for the Friday prayers, as dictated within the Koran. I believe in God, yet I am not practising. Sometimes I feel part of the reason I am the way I am is because I am jaded with people's take on religion. You are either good, or you are bad. Because you don't do this, you are bad. Because you do this, then five points for you.
Do people practise because they are honest in their beliefs, or is it because it's something that they were told to do? I don't see the point of putting up a front by doing certain things just so you can feel better about yourself and about your relationship with God. Just so that you feel it is within your right to tell others of what they're supposed to do. Some people; they don't live by the pillars and the virtues of Islam, yet find it within themselves to criticise others. I have come across many a character like that, and sometimes, I would love to call it as it is, but I held back. I believe in salvation, yes I do, but I also believe that religion is a personal thing. You're born alone, and you die alone and that's the reality of things.
I foresee the future in University where I will be faced with this dilemma once again. Somehow, one person has made a proposition for me to join a Muslim Society, just because I am one. Does that mean I should join the Boys' Brigade because I am a boy? Such a reasoning is flawed. I am going out on a limb here by saying that chances are, activities would involve preaching, games where the genders are divided, and a slew of other restrictions. I cannot live by that cardinal rule. I feel that to join such a society seems like a showy thing to do, a proclamation that "I joined and you didn't and therefore I have a reason to judge you."
Then there's this whole another thing called 'Family'. Friends find it amusing to learn about my squabbles with either my parents or my sister but for me, the root of the issue is that I've never felt like I belonged, ever. The only thing we have in common is that strand of DNA, and the fact that my parents consummated to have me. I'm not saying they're bad parents. They clothed me and they fed me, but I've always felt like I could live without them, and I had. For the first twelve years of my life, in fact. When my grandmother died, I learned about loss at a young age and I dealt with it and I've moved on.
Because my parents were working most of the time, I never had an emotional connection to them. They were people I called 'mom' and 'dad' because I was told to call them that. There is no affection from me to them. In fact, during Basic Military Training, as my fellow recruits phoned home crying, I was there, on the phone, with my good friend on the other line. I never did call them throughout my time there, except once, where we were made to call home to say that the first day of training was over. I didn't feel any sadness when my sister left for Australia to study and I am in fact angry that I won't have the chance to be the one saying the sayonaras next year.
I place more importance on friends, and the traditionalist's view on this is that it's unhealthy. Family should always be your priority because friends come and go. But I believe friends are family members you choose, and you better make an effort to treasure them. And the fact is, I am a loner by personality so even if I were to get deserted, I'd still have myself at the end of the day.
Wednesday 17 October 2012
Wunderkinder
I seem to be on a repeat mode whenever I'm on leave. I would have a carefully laid out plan on where to go, what to do and what to eat, and I get all lazy and the plan goes to the bin and I stay at home watching my television series with a tub of ice-cream and it may sound depressing, and it may sound like what an old spinster would do, but that is my life. It's certainly more blissful than all the complaints I've been reading on twitter from the girls in university. The stress, the pile-up of assignments, the nauseatingly annoying people around them. So right now, if this is my life, then I am contented.
And I am officially with these clothes from Topman. It's not practical to wear them here but a boy can dream, and those dreams are of me walking down a boulevard during the fall season with the leaves cascading down before me. That red ensemble is to die for, and I would literally starve myself again to fit into these clothes. Gaining weight is a bitch and I don't have the discipline to keep them off so it really sucks.
On another note, the German Film Festival is coming up and there are so many movies I want to watch but I have to be selective of what I will eventually be watching because it clashes with my mounting week and there is only one day for me to take liberty. Actually, because I'm the team leader I could just go as I please but I don't take advantage of my position like that so it's back to their pamphlet to see what movie I will be watching in the end. Wunderkinder is tugging at my heartstrings, but so is Kaddish For A Friend. I just learnt that kaddish is a Jewish prayer. The things we learn everyday.
Wednesday 10 October 2012
Comfort Food Are Comforting
Today was a good day. I checked my account and my marksman monetary reward has been debited into my account. For once, this organisation seems to be on the ball. Pity though, since there are still a few others who have yet to receive their share of the pie despite waiting a few months for it already. And then, there are also others who are complaining yet again about how their pay has been deducted this month because of wrongful back-pay on the organisation's part for the past few months, and making it seem as though it's the end of the world. To this person, I say, the money wasn't meant to be yours in the first place, and I don't see the point of you being extremely upset about it. It only makes you seem to be an extremely petty person, and trust me, there are a billion other things you've done and said that has already labelled you as a very difficult person to be around.
I baked Triple Layered Brownies With Marshmallow Smores today. They were really good, what with the Hershey's bar I snuck between the layers of brownies and marshmallows. Unfortunately, the results weren't very pretty and I shall not post the picture up here. They were just meant to be eaten, and that's that. The marshmallows sort of didn't melt as I thought they would, between the layers of brownies, so they popped up the the surface, and anything less than perfect as far as presentation goes, isn't perfect. But they were great since they acted as comfort food for my throbbing headache which subsided as I enjoyed the therapeutic activity of baking.
I baked Triple Layered Brownies With Marshmallow Smores today. They were really good, what with the Hershey's bar I snuck between the layers of brownies and marshmallows. Unfortunately, the results weren't very pretty and I shall not post the picture up here. They were just meant to be eaten, and that's that. The marshmallows sort of didn't melt as I thought they would, between the layers of brownies, so they popped up the the surface, and anything less than perfect as far as presentation goes, isn't perfect. But they were great since they acted as comfort food for my throbbing headache which subsided as I enjoyed the therapeutic activity of baking.
Tuesday 9 October 2012
Being Sick Is God's Way Of Punishing You
I like being fake sick. The kind where you wake up and don't feel like the day is going well, and you decide to go to the doctor's for an excuse to legitimately skip school. And how, after, when you're clutching the medical certificate in your hands, you have that inexplicable adrenaline rush of feeling because you've managed to somehow do something forbidden, like lying to the doctor, and exaggerating your conditions just so you can skip that one economics lecture, or miss the deadline for the maths assignment.
Being sick in real life, though, is ultimately the worst feeling in the world. Your body feels cold on the outside, but burning from the inside. Your nose leaks like a faucet and your eyes gets blurry for no reason whatsoever, rendering watching television series on your laptop a hassle. Your head thumps like a bitch, and you're super sensitive to noise, and light, and everything annoys you. When a slight movement causes so much discomfort, and when you find that one perfect spot, you just want to lie down there forever, but alas, you have to get up and go to the bathroom because the flam is getting caught up in your throat. When tilting you head causes you to feel nauseated, but nothing ever comes out. That's right, being sick in real life really sucks.
But the good thing about lying in bed and having a friend overseas is that I get to live my life vicariously through him, so in my suffering, I envision the kind of joy my friend is feeling and seeing, and I imagine myself doing the same very things he'd done. Jun Xian is in Japan and he is detailing everything he's done so far, via live updates on whatsapp, and I feel like I'm floating on air. Traditional Japanese guest house, check! Outrageous Japanese fashion, check! Hot Spring Resort, check! Gorgeous picturesque landscape, check! Somehow, it's so apt that in my feeling of death, I'm thinking of all these beautiful things. Isn't that what most people think during that last few moments; all those beautiful mortal things they're leaving behind? Unless of course, you die from a sudden tragic death.
Being sick in real life, though, is ultimately the worst feeling in the world. Your body feels cold on the outside, but burning from the inside. Your nose leaks like a faucet and your eyes gets blurry for no reason whatsoever, rendering watching television series on your laptop a hassle. Your head thumps like a bitch, and you're super sensitive to noise, and light, and everything annoys you. When a slight movement causes so much discomfort, and when you find that one perfect spot, you just want to lie down there forever, but alas, you have to get up and go to the bathroom because the flam is getting caught up in your throat. When tilting you head causes you to feel nauseated, but nothing ever comes out. That's right, being sick in real life really sucks.
But the good thing about lying in bed and having a friend overseas is that I get to live my life vicariously through him, so in my suffering, I envision the kind of joy my friend is feeling and seeing, and I imagine myself doing the same very things he'd done. Jun Xian is in Japan and he is detailing everything he's done so far, via live updates on whatsapp, and I feel like I'm floating on air. Traditional Japanese guest house, check! Outrageous Japanese fashion, check! Hot Spring Resort, check! Gorgeous picturesque landscape, check! Somehow, it's so apt that in my feeling of death, I'm thinking of all these beautiful things. Isn't that what most people think during that last few moments; all those beautiful mortal things they're leaving behind? Unless of course, you die from a sudden tragic death.
Monday 8 October 2012
Buffet Lunch @ Cafe Brio
The Earth is this huge spherical blob of mass in an otherwise wide expanse of nothingness, but today, it felt considerably smaller, more accessible, more claustrophobic. Within the span of ten minutes, while I was out, I bumped into three different people, all of whom were at some point, and some still are, my commanders. It's funny how we don't talk to each other much in base, but when we're out, everything just spews out. It's as though everyone's trying to make up for that lost time, where everyone had to act within their capacity as commanders, as leaders, as men and as followers. Norman and Nian Phong were from base, whereas Leslie was on leave despite being an instructor back in Changi Naval Base. If it weren't for this accidental bump, I would never have known that Norman and Nian Phong would be starting school in January, one doing law, the other economics, whereas Leslie would be reading accountancy at NUS.
The reason we all managed to find each other in Kinokuniya was because Shawn and I were there hunting for books after our very wonderful and filling lunch buffet at Cafe Brio @ Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. The seafood buffet was glorious, filled with tiger prawns and clams and salmon fillet, and other mouth-watering dishes. The desert table was just stacked precariously with shot glasses of the most sweetest of deserts I felt as though I was Alice In Wonderland. Speaking of which, I found the English literary classic book illustrated by Yayoi Kusama I think I found the perfect gift for someone I know.
After parting ways with Norman and Nian Phong, because Leslie was with his other group of friends, Shawn and I made our way around and lo and behold, Typo was having a sale, and knowing me, anything eclectic and pretty catches my eye, and I made out of the store with buys that I reasoned would be used when I'm staying in hostel next year. Come to think of it, a lot of my buys have been boxed carefully with the idea that they would be used next year, for when I rejoin society again.
While walking around, Shawn enlightened me on the whole debacle that's happening right now, of which I have no idea that something like that could warrant such an intense reaction from the public. I mean, if half the wacky, obnoxious things I said were made known to the public, it'd probably end up with me at the stakes ala the Salem Witch Trials. Shawn and I parodied what the post could have been had it been directed to the different races and we channelled our inner-most Singaporean hillbillies and the results were so outrageously crazy, we threw caution to the wind. The things we said, it could only remain between the two of us.
But on a more serious note, and everyone seems to have an opinion about it, I honestly believe that the lady should not have been fired from her job. Everyone, at some point of time or another, must have said something insensitive but nothing to the point of it being labelled as a 'seditious' act. The lady was just dumb enough to have it posted on her Facbook account. As a society, we should be better than this, and we should be able to sieve out the fact that she was merely complaining about the noise, but had decided to include other reasons, which might I add, were not completely false. Goodness me, have we not seen the statistics of the divorce cases in Singapore?
This whole debacle serves only one purpose, and what it does is that it magnifies the Singapore society's gravitation towards a witch hunt. We love massacring one individual and time and time again it has happened; the most recent one being that girl who called NSFs weak. Personally, I feel we could all be better than this. We count ourselves as a forward society, but when the time calls for us to be one, we easily turn our backs and we return to the age old tradition of pointing the blame at someone else. We need to learn to differentiate between callous remarks and remarks that could really divide a society, and I feel that there are other things out there, more pertinent issues, that are so blatantly divisive, yet no one addresses them, simply because they are the ones rooted from the top-down. Everyone knows about them, yet no seems to question them. Instead, we go all out to bring down this one lady who made an insensitive, not completely untrue remark, about a specific group of people. What a society we live in!
The reason we all managed to find each other in Kinokuniya was because Shawn and I were there hunting for books after our very wonderful and filling lunch buffet at Cafe Brio @ Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. The seafood buffet was glorious, filled with tiger prawns and clams and salmon fillet, and other mouth-watering dishes. The desert table was just stacked precariously with shot glasses of the most sweetest of deserts I felt as though I was Alice In Wonderland. Speaking of which, I found the English literary classic book illustrated by Yayoi Kusama I think I found the perfect gift for someone I know.
After parting ways with Norman and Nian Phong, because Leslie was with his other group of friends, Shawn and I made our way around and lo and behold, Typo was having a sale, and knowing me, anything eclectic and pretty catches my eye, and I made out of the store with buys that I reasoned would be used when I'm staying in hostel next year. Come to think of it, a lot of my buys have been boxed carefully with the idea that they would be used next year, for when I rejoin society again.
While walking around, Shawn enlightened me on the whole debacle that's happening right now, of which I have no idea that something like that could warrant such an intense reaction from the public. I mean, if half the wacky, obnoxious things I said were made known to the public, it'd probably end up with me at the stakes ala the Salem Witch Trials. Shawn and I parodied what the post could have been had it been directed to the different races and we channelled our inner-most Singaporean hillbillies and the results were so outrageously crazy, we threw caution to the wind. The things we said, it could only remain between the two of us.
But on a more serious note, and everyone seems to have an opinion about it, I honestly believe that the lady should not have been fired from her job. Everyone, at some point of time or another, must have said something insensitive but nothing to the point of it being labelled as a 'seditious' act. The lady was just dumb enough to have it posted on her Facbook account. As a society, we should be better than this, and we should be able to sieve out the fact that she was merely complaining about the noise, but had decided to include other reasons, which might I add, were not completely false. Goodness me, have we not seen the statistics of the divorce cases in Singapore?
This whole debacle serves only one purpose, and what it does is that it magnifies the Singapore society's gravitation towards a witch hunt. We love massacring one individual and time and time again it has happened; the most recent one being that girl who called NSFs weak. Personally, I feel we could all be better than this. We count ourselves as a forward society, but when the time calls for us to be one, we easily turn our backs and we return to the age old tradition of pointing the blame at someone else. We need to learn to differentiate between callous remarks and remarks that could really divide a society, and I feel that there are other things out there, more pertinent issues, that are so blatantly divisive, yet no one addresses them, simply because they are the ones rooted from the top-down. Everyone knows about them, yet no seems to question them. Instead, we go all out to bring down this one lady who made an insensitive, not completely untrue remark, about a specific group of people. What a society we live in!
Sunday 7 October 2012
Dorm/My Girl
I don't always watch horror films now because I don't want to put myself through hell just before I go to sleep. That wasn't the case when I was growing up. When you're surrounded by cousins, and being the youngest at that, you don't really have a choice of what television show or DVD you'd be watching because someone else always gets his or her way. And horror shows were always on the television screen for most of the time, especially Asian horror movies, and let me just tell you, Asian horror films are always the worst, most horrible kind there is out there.
Anyways, I managed to watch a Thai horror film on television just now called Dorm, and it's something that I've watched a few times before. For one, the reason I'm able to watch this show alone in my room is because it's more of a drama film with interjections of horror; not just a meaningless, scare-the-shit-out-of-you kind of show. It's such a poignant drama that explores the idea of loss, of getting left behind, and of carrying the burden of your past actions. For that, this film is one of the few Thai films that I remember watching, the other being My Girl. Coincidentally, both film stars the same child actor who seem to be genetically blessed and didn't undergo that awkward phase of growing up. I remember watching My Girl years ago in secondary school after examinations were over and it's funny how the film has always stayed in my subconscious for the longest period of time.
Anyways, I managed to watch a Thai horror film on television just now called Dorm, and it's something that I've watched a few times before. For one, the reason I'm able to watch this show alone in my room is because it's more of a drama film with interjections of horror; not just a meaningless, scare-the-shit-out-of-you kind of show. It's such a poignant drama that explores the idea of loss, of getting left behind, and of carrying the burden of your past actions. For that, this film is one of the few Thai films that I remember watching, the other being My Girl. Coincidentally, both film stars the same child actor who seem to be genetically blessed and didn't undergo that awkward phase of growing up. I remember watching My Girl years ago in secondary school after examinations were over and it's funny how the film has always stayed in my subconscious for the longest period of time.
Friday 5 October 2012
Calories Be Damned
Yesterday, after our dismounting debrief, which was all kinds of wonderful news, I headed down to Casie & Mum's, together with Shawn, Jonathan and Yu En for some afternoon tea. It's a recently opened cafe at Albert Court Village Hotel down at Albert Street. The cafe reminds me of the ones in Australia, where when you enter, you immediately feel as though you've entered someone's home. At first, I expected something posh but after taking a step back, I kind of appreciated the fact that the owner meant for it to feel homely, as though you're visiting a friend's place, where they open up their kitchen and pantry for you to bake, and mingle, and build a rapport. The banana cake was superb and sipping it down with hot tea was just a nice way to relax and have a chat with friends. It helped a lot that the cafe is situated within the compounds of renovated pre-war shophouses, because you know, ambiance is really important to me.
We then headed down to Amoy Street to collect my order of chocolate cupcakes from Matt's The Chocolate Shop. They were honest to God, the best, most simple cupcakes I've ever eaten in my life. The chocolate glaze was just nice. It didn't overwhelm the cake, and there was that perfect balance between bitterness and sweetness. And the cupcakes themselves just glided down my throat that calories be damned. Getting there, however was a hassle when you have four boys, each thinking they know the best way to get to the damn place. We ended up taking the bus, walking a little bit and reaching the oasis of chocolate-y goodness. On the way however, the bus took a route I've never taken before, and it opened my eyes to how small and compact Singapore is. I never knew that Little India was just behind Bugis Junction by way of Bencoolen Street, and that you could pass by Dhobby Ghaut to get to Chinatown, and visit Raffles Place on the way. Small little things we learn each day!
Today however, was not a day of gourmet taste-testing. It was a day of back-to-back movie screenings with Asaad at Shaw Lido down at Orchard. We watched Celeste And Jesse Forever and The Words, and is it just me, or do I watch a lot of movies about relationships despite not being, or even believing in one. Celeste And Jesse Forever was excellent mainly because I love Rashida Jones and the fact that the premise was really compelling, and that it made Los Angeles look beautiful and that they made Elijah Woods to be gay. Divorced couple remains best friends, whatever could go wrong? The Words, however didn't get my love as much, even if the slow burning drama tried to be stylistically beautiful with the interjections of the past and the present. But the show did get one thing right; Paris is beautiful, even during wartime.
We then headed down to Amoy Street to collect my order of chocolate cupcakes from Matt's The Chocolate Shop. They were honest to God, the best, most simple cupcakes I've ever eaten in my life. The chocolate glaze was just nice. It didn't overwhelm the cake, and there was that perfect balance between bitterness and sweetness. And the cupcakes themselves just glided down my throat that calories be damned. Getting there, however was a hassle when you have four boys, each thinking they know the best way to get to the damn place. We ended up taking the bus, walking a little bit and reaching the oasis of chocolate-y goodness. On the way however, the bus took a route I've never taken before, and it opened my eyes to how small and compact Singapore is. I never knew that Little India was just behind Bugis Junction by way of Bencoolen Street, and that you could pass by Dhobby Ghaut to get to Chinatown, and visit Raffles Place on the way. Small little things we learn each day!
Today however, was not a day of gourmet taste-testing. It was a day of back-to-back movie screenings with Asaad at Shaw Lido down at Orchard. We watched Celeste And Jesse Forever and The Words, and is it just me, or do I watch a lot of movies about relationships despite not being, or even believing in one. Celeste And Jesse Forever was excellent mainly because I love Rashida Jones and the fact that the premise was really compelling, and that it made Los Angeles look beautiful and that they made Elijah Woods to be gay. Divorced couple remains best friends, whatever could go wrong? The Words, however didn't get my love as much, even if the slow burning drama tried to be stylistically beautiful with the interjections of the past and the present. But the show did get one thing right; Paris is beautiful, even during wartime.
Wednesday 3 October 2012
Day Of Doing Nothing
You know, how when you're younger, you're excited when the adults took the days off, and they stay at home, and you think, "Hey, today's gonna be a good day. We're going to go out shopping at the mall!" And then your excitement gets deflated because the adults don't seem to want to go out because they'd much rather stay at home, and you think to yourself, "How boring! What a party pooper."
Well, I fully understand that "adult" sentiment now because that's exactly how I'm feeling. I had the most beautiful of plans; of walking around the city, of going to the museum, of visiting that quaint little cafe down at River Valley, of reading the book I've been putting off for the past few weeks, and of course, I never did any of those things. I woke up early thinking today's gonna be the day that I fully take advantage of the nice weather and after booting my laptop and going about my usual business, I decided to laze around on the bed at around 10am only to wake up at 6pm. My nap lasted for 8 hours! 8 hours of which I could have had a very fulfilling day. And the only thing I remember doing was eating warm, delicious muffins from The Muffinry for breakfast.
And so, to keep up with this restlessness and laziness, I decided against doing anything for the rest of the day. No going to the library to return my books. No going to the post office to pay my bills. No watching of television. Just the very blissful thought of lying down and doing nothing.
Well, I fully understand that "adult" sentiment now because that's exactly how I'm feeling. I had the most beautiful of plans; of walking around the city, of going to the museum, of visiting that quaint little cafe down at River Valley, of reading the book I've been putting off for the past few weeks, and of course, I never did any of those things. I woke up early thinking today's gonna be the day that I fully take advantage of the nice weather and after booting my laptop and going about my usual business, I decided to laze around on the bed at around 10am only to wake up at 6pm. My nap lasted for 8 hours! 8 hours of which I could have had a very fulfilling day. And the only thing I remember doing was eating warm, delicious muffins from The Muffinry for breakfast.
And so, to keep up with this restlessness and laziness, I decided against doing anything for the rest of the day. No going to the library to return my books. No going to the post office to pay my bills. No watching of television. Just the very blissful thought of lying down and doing nothing.
Tuesday 2 October 2012
Cold War
It feels good to be out and about on a mounting week when the rest of the guys are back in base. That's what happens when you manage to store all your leaves until the last few mountings of the year to quietly savour and enjoy. Speaking of savouring, I dropped by The Muffinry for a chat to possibly take up a part-time job there and although I was super excited initially, after talking about it to Gary and Shawn on two separate phone calls, they made me realise that the service line is not my kind of job. For that, I am thankful to have friends that are able to shake me from my allusion that I'm this super cool, barista-waiter persona in this chic-artsy enclave in my own make believe world of Southern California ala The O.C.
I left base early because I had a breakfast date with Nadia. It's been ages since we last met and we've always been toying with the idea of meeting up and nothing ever materialised so when the opportunity arose, we decided to just grab it. Today was a good day because I was leaving base and Nadia had to go to NTU for a group discussion in the afternoon so a breakfast date was in order. I love talking to Nadia because, and I have to say it here once and for all, she keeps me in touch with my Malay roots. There I said it. Whenever I talk to Nadia, I have this urge to mix Malay responses to whatever I'm talking about. That's as far an extent to which I've spoken the Malay language after I left secondary school. On the way to meet her though, there was a horrible accident where this lorry crane smashed into a bus stop, thereby obliterating that poor structure before being split into two after hitting this huge ass tree.
In other news, and this is petty news, but the month-long cold war between my mother and I finally reached a truce when she talked to me when I reached home this evening. The thing with me is, I can drag on a petty issue for as long as forever, and I don't usually yield on anything, so even my mother has to bend to accommodate my rules. And even funnier is that, I don't even know why I wrote that.
I left base early because I had a breakfast date with Nadia. It's been ages since we last met and we've always been toying with the idea of meeting up and nothing ever materialised so when the opportunity arose, we decided to just grab it. Today was a good day because I was leaving base and Nadia had to go to NTU for a group discussion in the afternoon so a breakfast date was in order. I love talking to Nadia because, and I have to say it here once and for all, she keeps me in touch with my Malay roots. There I said it. Whenever I talk to Nadia, I have this urge to mix Malay responses to whatever I'm talking about. That's as far an extent to which I've spoken the Malay language after I left secondary school. On the way to meet her though, there was a horrible accident where this lorry crane smashed into a bus stop, thereby obliterating that poor structure before being split into two after hitting this huge ass tree.
In other news, and this is petty news, but the month-long cold war between my mother and I finally reached a truce when she talked to me when I reached home this evening. The thing with me is, I can drag on a petty issue for as long as forever, and I don't usually yield on anything, so even my mother has to bend to accommodate my rules. And even funnier is that, I don't even know why I wrote that.
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