Moonage Daydream

The bold have more fun

2007-08-24T21:02:00.001-07:00

I’ll post the pictures from Xian’s birthday party once I have sufficient time on my hand, mainly away from work, to put up a proper entry.

For now, see if this interests you: A Thousand Days At Sea. I, for one, had been following their updates rather avidly. Incredible people, don’t you think?

Death or glory

2007-08-23T01:58:00.000-07:00

Classic High-Cut Converse in black leather, and embellished with Sailor Jerry's Tattoo Art...Fierce sia!

Even the sole has great details! Definitely collector's item!

Perched on my left shoulder like Aladdin's monkey, and gibbering in excitement, is Keong the Profligate:"WOARH SIBEH SUI! BUY IT! QUICK GO BUY! WE MUST HAVE THIS!"

Seated on my other shoulder with perfect poise, but equally emotional when disputing his counterpart, is Keong the Prudent:"OI YOU DIAM LA! ARE YOU MAD? IT'S $169!!"

Damn, I just can't reach a final decision with that kind of internal strife haha.

How to skive at work...

2007-08-21T19:23:00.001-07:00

First, go here: http://www.basicinstructions.net/

Now, keep your index finger and thumb on the Tab and Alt keys respectively, ready to trigger at the first sign of intrusion into your workspace (e.g. approaching footfalls, doors opening, or the uneasy feeling that your supervisor is sneaking up on you).

In a critical situation where your senses failed to alert you of danger till the very last instant, (especially if your boss, like mine, moves as stealthily as a Red Indian) for you to execute a seamless split second shift from skiving on the job to looking like an assiduous worker concentrating on the glorious advancement of the company, will of course be much more challenging. However despair not, aspiring skiver, a bit of practice ought to take care of that.

Lastly, keep in mind that there’s nothing more subversively gratifying than being paid by the government to read comics.

A toast to Sam aye!

2007-08-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

This one's for you! Everyone was having drinks at Blu Jaz, and so we did an impromptu video to wish you Happy Birthday :) I don't have to say much here, you just have to go watch the videos, like NOW

Here we have Branchel Tian Tian De, Hamsome Towkay (GQ) and his harem of concubines (XY, Aliah and Helaine), Sonia (in red), and my chirpy girlfriend! And of cos, it's me behind the camera la...

"乾杯!没乾就没懒趴!"

Aliah had to go off early, so she has her own individual segment taken by my darling.

One more time now in Hokkien, and remember, with heart, "我没醉,我没醉,我没醉!"

By the way Sam, we really tried. But upon landing at 上海浦东国际机场 like canned sardines in the biggest box DHL could find us, we were sniffed out by the airport's detector dogs, and were immediately deported..back in the same box haha.

We used my camera's recording function, so there was nothing I could do about the lack of lighting at the place. You might want to tweak your monitor's brightness and contrast settings to see us better. Aiyah if all else fails, just max the volume and listen to us can liao la! Haha

Fishing Frenzy

2007-08-13T07:22:00.001-07:00

Sixteen hours of fishing, divided between two days back to back = enough fix to satisfy the habit for a little while longer :)

However, having said that, the first day was a major disappointment. To tell it in a nutshell, we were royally scammed by the PRP management thieves, for $80 per rod and shit in the pond (ok, not literally. But then again, if we're talking about fish excrement...) At the end of the day 1, all I got was an uneven tan (Hooray for a new shade of brown!), and also this anti-social tortoise I had scooped out of the pond with a kind of triumph seen only in the desperate.

When Life gives you turtles, you make turtle soup.

Day 2: This Catch 'n' Release Pond at Farmway 3 was recommended by Ah Boon after he and Paul had a good run the previous week. The resident freshwater fishes at the quaint little place will happily gobble up your bait for just $30 a day. Bungsamran it is not, but it's still a nice change from the occasional tromp through untamed parts of reservoirs in search of secret spots, and definitely much better than the rest of the lack lustre local payponds.

Total score at the end of day 2 was 11 - 5 Patins, and er, 6 Tilapias..haha

First blood belonged to Paul,

then ZS,

and then dad... (for the record, Ah Boon got one too)

It was Patins all around! My first Patin - a feisty fellow, and very fun on a light tackle :)

Impossible not to love

2007-07-30T00:21:00.001-07:00

Oh Darling, have I told you lately just how much I love and adore you? ;)

You are my favorite food-hunt companion!

When I'm with you, things will never get dull or dreary, because you are ever so bubbly and brimming with zest :)

You once commented that we eat non-stop when we are together, and reckoned I'm trying to feed you rounder so nobody else but me, will like you...

...But you so cute, how can I not be possessive? Forgive me for my unscrupulous methods my darling, heh heh heh :D

Ah boon's analogy

2007-07-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

We went fishing at PRP today. Four of us this time - Dad, Ah Boy, Ah Boon and myself, each armed with a rod.

It definitely wasn't a good day for fishing. All day it was an overcast sky with intermittent showers which only subsided near dusk time. The number of fishes released into the pond must have been curtailed too, in the wake of the hefty fine slapped on the pond management over the recent Dengue violations. Bite rates were poor all around the pond, and it was also by no coincidence, the lowest turn out of anglers at PRP I've ever seen.

Of course we weren't spared the ill luck which seemed to have blanketed the whole place in a kind of an angler's curse. 4 rods, 9 hours and only 4 fishes to account for. Though I really don't have the rights to whine, because I got to fight two medium GTs and a small "Ang Gueh". But at the end of the day, our overall catch simply just don't justify the amount of money we had paid to fish. In fact, this was what had prompted Boon Chong to come up with the analogy which I'm about to share with you. In his own words:

"Going to a pay pond and not catching anything is just wrong. It's like going to a prostitute and not being able to come."

Damn right.

Jesus, it's He-Man!

2007-07-04T22:28:00.001-07:00

I have stumbled upon a universal truth (while surfing the internet at work)!

In the pictures which follow, you will discover that good old Jesus, he is actually very righteous about how the children of god, epitomized here by He-Man the indisputable Alpha-Male of Humankind, should NOT be denied the abundant rewards that can be reaped from a nice little hemp joint!

Can't get enough out of the condensed version? Go see the original extended set on Flickr, here: All God's Children Do Weed

Batam trip june '07

2007-06-27T19:20:00.001-07:00

Well… What story is there to a simple Batam trip?

Over the course of those 3 days, we didn't visit a single touristy landmark, because there were absolutely none to begin with. Nor did we trek through any exciting Indonesian nature spots, because our surrounding lands were desolate as far as my squinted eyes could perceive. We even eschewed the idea of trawling for bargains in vast malls and bazaars, plainly because the city district was too far out of the way for us. And your impatient question now, marked by an incredulous face, must be what exactly did we do there all this time???

We feasted, and we gorged, then we snacked some more. I remembered once remarking how stuffed I still felt from the last meal, but my mind was already picturing the next, and all this while my hand dipped ceaselessly into a bag of chips like a vulture's beak picking at carcass haha.

This may not be Hara Bagus, but it's Dim Sum Sedap nonetheless!

We found this bastard child of the Pizza and a Curry Puff here, which turned out to be indeed quite tasty.

She always complains I'm feeding her to become rounder and rounder, but see how wide she grins when the Teppanyaki chef served! :)

Each of those dumplings has two succulent prawns wrapped up inside them, just look, it's as large as her cheek! :D

And when we aren't stuffing ourselves silly, we look to the buzzing itinerary we had planned. Which, as you might have guessed, is mostly centered around doing nothing haha.

Reading leisurely by the poolside under a pleasantly toasty sun...

...then taking long afternoon naps, followed by sumptuous dinner spreads. That's resort life :)

This picture always makes me uneasy, then one day it dawned on me that pairing hairy legs and fingernail painting together in a picture has triggered off the subconcious response similar to that of seeing a Changi Bapok.

We drew on each other two very hardy animals to symbolise the stable and enduring love we share, something like the Branchel's pair of couple watches if you will. Though I do admit that a crudely drawn tortoise and cockroach aren't the best of representations...haha.

Violence on the TV

2007-06-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me, I just think it's hilarious.

Sheng's bar open house

2007-06-14T23:35:00.001-07:00

Ok, so us lads had benefited (A euphemism for freeload haha) from the generosity of the Liu Brothers for a long time now.

Sheng’s very own humble little bar is the birthplace of countless cocktails, and our dear bartender, a metaphorical midwife, always so eager to refill our glasses with new and fabulous concoctions. And his big brother, Xian is ever the one to “delight” us with his repertoire of bad jokes delivered with frightening spontaneity, which he follows up with a display of not-so-nimble dodging between flung chairs and other assorted projectiles. And whenever we gather at their place for a night of gaiety, all of us will be seated around having Sex on the Beach, smiling and winking at one another…oh wait that sounds rather wrong haha.

What I meant to say was, plenty of the memories the boys shared together in the last decade, had been firmly planted in the settings of Xian’s house, draped across his couches and around the porch. Be it birthdays and other important occasions, or just warm nights with nowhere to go and nothing better to do than to talk cock with a drink in hand, Xian’s place was the choice place.

And now, there finally is a deserving tribute to this faithful old haunt, already a second home for the guys. What better way, than to drink some more of course, meaning also to mark the “official” opening of Sheng’s Bar (What really happened was Sheng just bought a couple more new bartending accessories, invited everyone over, and declared his bar open despite already serving up for months. Suppose he was just excited about his newly completed collection of drinks mixing gizmos eh? Well nobody minded, because we aren’t here to ask the questions, we just dutifully drink up haha.)

And as usual, the imps of mischief always manifest themselves after we’ve knocked back a few glasses. The photos are proof.

No one is safe from Andrew's practical jokes, especially his good friends, as Tay soon found out.

Anal Tay meekly poses for a trophy shot with the bounty hunters.

KH's signature maniacal laughing face, and Andrew's kinky swimming trunks masquerading as a headrest cover - A vision from hell haha.

Jerry never suspected a thing. Before the picture was taken, he was rubbing the back of his head against those spandex trunks with a smile of the blissfully ignorant. hehehe

Money no enough (as usual)

2007-06-12T00:09:00.001-07:00

This is perhaps the best time for a windfall of fortune to befall me.

Nope, I don’t covet a million bucks, a flashy car, or even designer threads. I’m only asking for a few simple things, which practical worth actually matches their price tags.

1. A Fender 4 string beauty which I have been eyeing for a long time now. Because it pays off to invest in quality equipment early on.

2. A pair of Ray-Bans when I’m fishing, to ward off the blinding glare of the relentless afternoon sun. I’m not going to settle for a shoddy imitation, and risk contracting eye cataracts at forty.

3. Even my phone has turned rebelliously unreliable, and I’m already looking to replace the mutinous bastard. Arrr!

There’s no way in hell my measly allowance is going to allow me that kind of expenditure. Besides, I’m not going to fritter away a couple thousands from my savings, because I’ve promised Jolyn we’ll see Hong Kong at the end of this year. :)

And so, in a typical display of the true Singaporean spirit of optimistic doggedness, I had tacked my Toto ticket for Thursday onto my work desk CPU, and written in black bold ink to better catch Cai Shen Ye’s attention (I hope he reads blogs), are the words:

Riders to the midnight sun

2007-06-04T07:18:00.001-07:00

I’m almost done with an excellent travelogue, Riders to The Midnight Sun, written by a Marc Llewellyn. The book is based on his journey with his girlfriend, across the former Soviet Union, all 4500 kilometers of the straight line from one end in Ukraine, across the Baltic States, to another end in Russia. The amazing thing was they accomplished all of this on bicycles, hence the title of the book.

Marc’s first hand accounts offered much insight into the lives of the people in each individual country after the dissolution of the USSR. The many colorful characters and incredible incidents he runs, or rather, rides into, sums up to a pretty interesting read, and more importantly, has dug up some quite thought provoking subjects for both the author and the readers themselves. He even contributes some of his existentialism philosophy, which are scattered all about inside the book, and I have extracted my favorite bit out to share with you:

“..Life is a process of dying and renewing yourself, and there are certain circumstances that allow you to do that; and the best of them is travel. The journey is one of those frequent opportunities in life to take stock and to renew. Remove yourself from your normal occupations and you are free of them; you can shed your old skin and become anyone you want to be. You can try on a different personality. No-one will ever see you’ve changed, except when you come back, of course. It’s like falling in love, when your personality thaws a little, and allows for a little change in shape, before it refreezes again.

But you can’t change, of course, without reflection. The real traveler is active, not passive. He moves about but actively reflects on life and what is happening to him and lives each moment as it arrives. So many tourists go away and let new experiences wash over them like plankton in the sea, without grasping them and allowing their imagination to flower – you can travel down to the end of your street, and experience it differently every time, as long as you are aware, and have new eyes to see. And you must be there, in the present, like the Buddhists who close their eyes and walk all day barefoot on the warm ground just to feel it under their feet and know they are alive.”

Man, I’m itching to throw everything down and go backpacking right this very instant haha.

Genting/KL trip may '07

2007-05-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

It’s been almost 2 weeks since my last post, for lately I’ve been inundated with work during this peak period at the office. The mind numbing drudgery of office work, made even more distasteful by the mediocre nature of an assistant’s job, has stripped me of all my writing inspiration at the end of every daily race. And to break this spell of inertia, I’m going to start with the pictures taken on the Genting trip with the 8+2 Gang. Rather long overdue, but I had little time to pick the best out of the combined hoard of photographs accumulated from all of the 3 cameras tirelessly snapping away during the trip. So after several stops and starts, I finally finished the post, and here goes!

The 8+2 Gang

That's everyone at the theme park. We're just 2 more pieces short to complete the whole jigsaw picture haha.

On this side of the train: Peishi, Derrick, Jolyn and myself

And on the other side: Xiuwen, Jun An, Xiao Jing and Alex

Pa Di Xiong & Jolly Bean

She's a jolly bean because she's always zippy! :)

We were posing for Xiaojing's camera, when I panicked over the impending flash, and instinctively did the first thing that came to mind - The Chinese Kungfu's Deadly Five Finger Crane Style Pointed Strike.

Even our toiletries complement their other half so well. :)

We tossed a coin, and she got to be the ship's skipper, while I was the humble first mate haha.

There's our fearsome pirate ship, all aboard aye!

The 1 last one before we returned to Singapore, and reality.

Mad About Her

My girlfriend loves late mornings, and not even the persistent sun peeking through curtains gaps can interfere with her beauty sleep.

When she wakes up, she's the girl with the boundless energy all of her friends are familiar with. On a sidenote, I HAD to name this picture "My Deer", I couldn't resist it!.

And sometimes when she takes her afternoon naps, you might just miss her if you don't look close enough haha.

Here she is, back to her ways of endearing antics, and I think surely only she can pull off looking cute when making such a hideous ghost face!

Haha she looks like this every night during bedtime, burrowed deep to be comfortably snug under the quilt. She's just simply oh-so adorable to me. :)

And finally, thank you darling, you made the Genting trip fun for me. I'm looking forward to our next vacation, one with just the two of us. ;)

Glynis' 21st

2007-05-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

We attended Glynis' 21st yesterday. It was great fun, seeing so many people you haven't seen in a rather long time. Too bad I didn't take many photos with my camera (I was getting chased around the place a lot by Brandon), so if you want to see more pictures, you are gonna have to visit Glynis' blog. Ok less talk now, let's see what have we!

First, allow me to show you the reason why Brandon was pursuing me. He wanted to destroy the evidence I have of him attempting to give Rachel a surreptitious kiss! But my sharp eyes and quick lens caught him in the act, and now he won't be able to deny ever doing it in the face of such solid proof..Aha!

After being exposed, they became as shy as Mimosa haha.

As our lovely model very graciously demonstrates to us here, how you wear your necklaces need not be restricted to just around the neck. Displaying your beads anywhere but atop your head has become passe, so come join the revolution now!

This is the number of people you can squeeze into a Mazda 3. Pearl's Mazda 3 to be exact.

When surprised with a candid shot, most people will simply freeze (Brandon), others will laugh startlingly (Pearl and Rachel), and there will be some who can still manage to keep their composure (that will be Ijan). And this is where my girlfriend amazes me. The second the flashlight flickered, her first instinct was to raise both arms and make a funny face at the camera haha!

I think her influence on me is beginning to become apparent. The funny faces aren't quite there yet, but you can already see the twin V's haha :)

We should do more of this

2007-05-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

I haven’t had so much fun over the weekends in a long time now. Everybody’s finally got the time to play after a grueling month of exams and its preparations.

Saturday – Jolyn and I stayed indoors to watch videos with her brother and his girlfriend. We watched Nacho Libre and Take The Lead, a couple of easy movies for us to relax to. After that, we had dinner and coffee at Holland V, and a long bus ride back to her place. Simple things to do on a weekend, but every bit enjoyable with her by my side. Up till now, we haven't really got to spend a lot of time together, with just the other half for company. The two of us seldom have the opportunity for any other things, and on most of the days, it's only a few lamentable hours for dinner after my work. That's why nowadays i really look forward to the next lazy afternoon for us to gain a couple more pounds from DVDs and non-stop snacking :)

Introducing her family: Jolyn's cute niece in my lap, Lim Ah Bu and her lovoly daughter, De Wei and his girlfriend.

Taken later that night at Holland V. Can you sense the glee on her face looking at the food? Fortunately for me, she loves to eat as much as I do haha.

We found out later that day Brandon and Rachel had a near identical itinerary like ours (only Brandon stayed the night hehehe). Whenever Brandon and I catch up and share our relationship experiences, there will be a myriad of uncanny similarities that make us almost carbon copies couples, and it never fails to amaze me.

Sunday – We finally got down to jamming. Xian’s new guitar is incredible, KH has been practising metal screaming, Jerry is upset that the drums sound crap, and I couldn't stop grinning now that we can play again. But this session not happening also, we just played some familiar numbers to warm up after the long break. When we sound better, I will post some of our videos here. Oh, and we even got BC who dropped by to catch up with us. And he’s still the same old BC, just that the fishes he catches now are bigger and he’s got a new girlfriend haha.

Sometimes there's really no need to try too hard. I think it's little things like these we usually overlook to appreciate. Don't regret only when you are too bogged down by other commitments in life for even the simple time your family and friends deserve. Haha I know it's unbelievable this is coming from me, but I think being with Jolyn has taught me a few important things in life. Ok, till then!

You're just too good to be true

2007-05-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

Nobody has loved me, and made me so happy in a relationship, or changed me to be so optimistic about life, the way that you do. When I have you around me, the bleak and dreary things in life become so insignificant they appear to never have existed. And almost everything else seems trifle compared to my simple wish of the two of us just being happy together, I’m truly blessed to have you darling. Thank you :)

You are my bridge over troubled waters

2007-05-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

The ex-girlfriend nightmare. The messages telling me how she can’t move on, and the phone calls in which dissension lurks, they don’t stop coming. Calling my office number when she couldn’t reach me on my house phone or my hand phone. Staking out at my void deck till 1AM and then carrying the wait to my house, just so I can’t avoid her any further. I have never lived in so much terror and trepidation before, and sometimes the stress builds up to be almost unbearable. Her behavior has eroded what little remaining good memories of us that I had, and now I feel only apprehension when I see her number appear on my phone. I wanted to cut off all contact with her, and run away into the comforting embrace of the one I truly love.

You were by my side all this time, and did more than what was needed of you. I was truly touched by your actions yesterday, and at the same time, guilt hanged over me like a massive dark cloud. I don’t think another woman could have handled this situation with the kind of grace and maturity as you did. What happened at the airport and thereafter need not be recounted here, too lengthy and not worth the breath. Instead I want to thank you for everything you did darling. The endless tolerance you showed me at the airport. Bringing me to the park so that the serene tranquility of the night sky will ease the troubles on my mind and clear the mess in my heart. Forgiving my actions over a long serious talk while we were there. Driving me all the way back to my house just so we can have that little bit more time together. Even waiting up with me through the night, for her to leave my house, which proved futile, but I appreciate your reassuring company nonetheless. What would have happened to me if I didn’t have you by my side?

Now that the nightmare is finally over, I’m just glad that things didn’t turn out to be too fucked up. I don’t care what she tells the world about us, or what her friends think. I can’t even be bothered with what she does from now onwards, just as long as she leaves us alone. All that matters to me now is that I have you, and having you walk through this difficult period together with me, I want only happy times ahead for the two of us. Because I know I will never find another like you, given the way that you treat me and love me. Thank you Jolyn, I love you.

Fishing at PRP

2007-05-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday’s bounty was 9 divided between 4 rods. I only caught a Sea Bass and a Red Drum. But I still think it was a pretty decent catch all in all :)

And here are some of the pictures we took last week during the PRP fishing competition. Each of the catches was roughly 1kg odd, but what we lacked in quality we made up with sheer quantity – a total of 16! That's the highest ever catch rate for us at the PRP. Some of the guys dropped by later in the afternoon for a look, and that reminded me it's been damn long since the KKK (Kool Krab Klan) has gone crabbing. The chance might already have been lost, with all the construction work going on at the spot right now. Shame.

My dad setting up our gear.

There’s Zhisheng, the latest to be inducted as a member into our “Fishermen Club”. See the loving expression on his face when he looks at me haha.

Here’s my little brother and Da Ja. Look where Ja's hand is placed, and that sick smile of his. He’s fucking molesting my brother!

This is Ah Boy, one of the two guys to fish regularly with my dad. The other guy, Ah Guan, caught this Sea Bass, but he wasn’t there when we took the fish for weighing in.

Ah Guan’s Sea Bass clinched the 9th place. 1st prize went to a malay uncle who reeled in a 4.2kg Sea Bass.

"And on bass, we have Batman!"

2007-05-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Did Bruce Wayne commissioned Schecter to build him this bass guitar so he can jam with Robin and Alfred in the Batcave? We might never know the answer to that one, and I don't really care either, because I just want to own this axe! Can you see those bats inlay on the fingerboard? Imagine it fretless! WICKED!

The Schecter Diamond Series Damien Bass

A thank you note for Jolyn

2007-04-30T02:21:00.001-07:00

For your soft warm hands wrapped within mine
During the short walks we take when I send you home
For the endearing way you look at me sometimes
It’s moments like this I feel very fortunate indeed
For the sweet sound of your sprightly laughter
When we chat on the phone late into every night
For the bliss I feel when I have you by my side
Together in the caress of the sea breeze at the harbor side
For your soothing words when something makes me frown
And picking me up when I’m feeling rather down
For my bad habits which only you can bear
Even when you niam, I know it’s because you care
For all of your lovoly words and lovolier gestures
Which fill my heart with delicious rapture
And everything about you that I perpetually crave
An appetite hard to satisfy and impossible to satiate

Thank you

Just for being mine.

You don't want to read this

2007-04-29T03:48:00.000-07:00

There's something wrong with me. I'm in an aggressive melancholic state and I cannot shake it off or fathom the cause of it. I haven't got any appetite, there's nothing that tempts. I seem to be craving for alcohol though. Not the usual social drinking sessions with your friends, my heart yearns for an uncontrolled binge within the confines of isolation. I want smokes too, I don't care which type as long as it's something heavy. What the fuck is it with depression that beckons for the company of substance abuse anyway. This reminds me the time when I was alone in Bangkok and was struck with the similar mental malaise, but the reason back then was clear at least. I don't have any drive to do anything else now, I've been lying on my bed and allowing this manic gloom to fester in me for the past hour. Figured that if I were to sit up and open a window in my heart to air my frustrations here, perhaps I would find out what's actually affecting me so badly. But all this ranting and raving don't tell me anything I don't already know, instead I'm only even more reminded of my inclination towards self-destructive behavior. Makes me question myself now about the previous drinking binges I've had, and how it almost took my life not once, but twice. Did I really got careless and drank too much of the happy juice, or am I secretly bent on my own demise? If it's the latter, isn't it fucked up that you would try to harm yourself without being actually conscious about it? Nah, I think it's just me trying to get a higher high, overstepping my limitations and crossing the line of safe drinking. KH will know exactly what am I talking about, won't you dear friend. Right now, that's what I really want to do, let's go to that carefree place hidden in the bottle. My urges are downright specific. I don't want to play any of those gimmicky therapeutic sports or games so I can "sweat it out". I want to smash something, the more cracking breaking shattering and damage you can get out of it, the better it should feel. Its not healthy to control your aggression and its burning me up inside, and fuck me, I don't even know why it's there to begin with. Maybe this kind of random dispiritedness will strike everyone at some point in their lives and it's how you deal with it. But I can't deal with it. I need a fix. I need something more, something harsh and dangerous. Fuck this shit, it's not helping at all, it's only making me want to go back and lie down some more. And if I'm still in a mess of blues when I wake up, I will know what to do. Good night.

I feel good (I got you)

2007-04-27T20:48:00.001-07:00

It's 4.30 AM in the morning but I can't go to sleep. I'm feeling so happy right now that I don't even know where to start. I'm just elated to have you in my arms after all these long long years. So many things I want to do with you, so many places to see together, so much to tell you about, I can hardly wait darling. Thank you for the 2nd chance you've given me to love you, and I promise that I will treasure you and all the things we share :)

James Brown knows exactly how I feel right now, and since I can't sing or dance even half of he can (look at him move!), I'll allow him to tell it to you on my behalf haha.

Whoa-oa-oa! I feel good, I knew that I would, now
I feel good, I knew that I would, now
So good, so good, I got you

Whoa! I feel nice, like sugar and spice
I feel nice, like sugar and spice
So nice, so nice, I got you

{ sax, two licks to bridge }

When I hold you in my arms
I know that I can't do no wrong
And when I hold you in my arms
My love won't do you no harm

And I feel nice, like sugar and spice
I feel nice, like sugar and spice
So nice, so nice, I got you

Whoa! I feel good, I knew that I would, now
I feel good, I knew that I would
So good, so good, 'cause I got you
So good, so good, 'cause I got you
So good, so good, 'cause I got you

A poem in return

2007-04-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

Ever so sweet, she wrote me a poem on her blog. I liked it so much I'm going to post it on mine without her permission haha. Lovoly indeed!

LOVOLY POEM!
When we go to the Movies,
I feel all so Happy but
You lose the tickets
and make me feel so pek chek..

DONG DONG DONG 1,2,3
I wana eat a simple Dinner
You said ok
I thought we were gonna eat "ZAP CAI PENG"
In the end You brought me to SUN TEC
and we ate KUISHINBO

I wanna eat Char Kuey Tiao
You brought me to eat Botak Jones
And yet everything seemed to fall into place
When i see your Botak Burgers.

I Thought i was nice
I went Novena to find u for lunch..
You came CCK, CLementi and JP for Lunch and Dinners
I brought You Muji Chocolates along the way.
You brought me Roll ROyce, CHOC and raisin chocolates
all also along the way.
Which way did you go,
i wonder?
How come all longer and nicer ways than mine?

I love chocolates
You love everything
I love Chicken
You Love Fish
I Like Samantha
You Like Brandon
Samantha like brandon
Noo...not our Brandon
I disturb Brandon
You Disturb Samantha
Wait..Its getting messy
I stop here

How come my poem doesnt ryhme?
Yet my meaning did its time
and told you what was meant to be said
It was simple
yet not easy
It took lotsa courage
and lotsa free time(apparently)

And then I wrote you one too, to thank you for your wonderful poem. A short and simple one because I'm not very good at it. In fact, I believe this is my first time writing a poem, but I still hope you'll like it haha.

It didn’t matter at all
That your poem doesn’t rhyme
Because darling
Neither really does mine

I still remember our very first date
Sorry that was my mistake
Please dear don’t be pek chek
I’ll let you keep the tickets!

I don't actually care
About where we are gonna dine
Because always the laughter that we share
It shows we're having a good time

Just to spend a little time with you
I don't mind those long rides to the west
To,
I'm burning with anticipation
And fro,
I'm blessed with blissful memories

Thank you for the box of Meiji
Chocolate dusting and strawberry filling
And with a name like MeltyKiss
I'll melt one when its you I miss

I love all the things that are you
When you fold your legs on every seat
Even when its on the bus
And how you niam me about everything
But blush when i tease you about us

And so here
My humble poem ends
But I'm sure that our journey together
Will traverse down life much further

"Harlo auntie, kopi O lai ji bueh hor"

2007-04-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been accused of “exhibiting a level of maturity well past my age”. It would have been a rare compliment, except that the observer had meant it to be anything but that. The exact words were “Why you so uncle”, albeit said in a jokingly manner (I certainly hope so). And so, thinking I could prove wrong the person who remarked that, I retrospect my behavior and the activities I’ve been doing lately, instead coming up with so many personal examples that I had to concede to her. Here’s ten of them off the top of my head, and arranged like one of those online quizzes people like so much. Who knows, you might find your inner “uncle” too.

1. You buy 4D and Toto weekly, and say things like “Got buy, got chance”.

2. When you meet your buddies for dinner, yours is the only Kopi O amidst all the Coke and Teh Ping.

3. You have friends who like to hang out in town and go clubbing, but you prefer to hang out at a kopitiam and go fishing.

4. You have hundreds of Hokkien songs in your media library, and you hope fellow commuters can’t hear them coming out of your headphones on the rush hour train.

5. You ever considered buying a gold watch and Ray Ban Aviators (I later found out from an uncle that Top Gun popularized them back in the 80’s.)

6. You find yourself occasionally replying your friends in dialect without thinking, and you have the urge to mispronounce English words on purpose.

7. You realize that you look like one of your father’s fishing pals when you are in a stripy polo T-shirt, shorts, and slippers.

8. You are always lamenting about the “good old days” (though the good old days were really just your Secondary school life half a decade ago).

9. You like the cars which were popular two decades ago.

10. Your friend (Jolyn) points out to you that you are an “uncle” all too often, and the friend (Brandon) you hang out with got labeled “uncle” too by his girlfriend.

Nonetheless I’m not too worried about it. It’s probably just the Singaporean heartlander way of life deeply anchored in me. I just hope I don’t go into an identity crisis twenty years from now haha.

Bangkok trip dec '06

2007-04-19T06:25:00.000-07:00

A couple of days back, Jolyn showed me her little trove of travelling pictures amassed from her last few vacations. Looking at those photographs depicting splendid food and the leisurely life, I couldn't help but feel wanderlust stirring in me. And this prompted me to go back and look through my own collection of snapshots taken from my recent Bangkok holiday. Previously I had only briefly browsed through them, as the pleasing memories of Bangkok were still fresh in my mind. But this time while looking through, I found some rather interesting ones to share. None of those postcard type photographs of landmarks, you guys have probably seen them all.

Ja and I at Diamond City Hotel. This photo is titled "Gay Motel", need I say more?

I got from the streets this assortment of grilled pork and chicken served on a bed of greens. A bit like the local satay, but each stick is much meatier, and there are more varieties to choose from. Throw in a can of Singha, and its a happy meal for just roughly 2 stinking Singapore dollars!

Dirt cheap fares, a spacious and breezy interior, and carrying the charm of the last era, the ubiquitous bus is perfect for exploring the streets of Bangkok.

Apparently there's a place in Thai mythology for giant she-monsters which gobble hapless village men as a source of nourishment. If whoever painted this think they are terrifying, he obviously haven't seen Mel Lee.

I bought these out of curiosity, and off the streets for a mere 10 Baht. Lights poorly and lacks body, but rather spicy. Not recommended, I ditched the whole packet after 1.

You can find anything in Chatuchak. Even toilet roll dispensers in the form of a negro stripper with pink nipples. Comes complete with a pink sequined thong to hide its bulging male genitals. We got this for Kenny as a souvenir, and to this date I still wonder about his wife’s initial reaction when he brought it home.

We found this magician, flamboyantly clad in red thigh-hugging leather pants, and knee-high snakeskin boots, also in Chatuchak. When he performs, he would also move his body to the latest hip-hop hits booming out of a cassette player. I paid 20 Baht for his Magic Book, and instructions on how to use it...I'm his biggest fucking fan!

And lastly, a tribute to my favorite donuts.

A little place down by the lake

2007-04-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

I was listening to the White Stripes on my way to work this morning, and Jack White sang me this verse in “Hotel Yorba”.

I been thinking
of a little place down by the lake
they got a dirty little road leading up to the house
I wonder how long it will take till we're alone
sitting on the front porch of that home
stomping our feet on the wooden boards
never gonna worry about locking the door

I’m dedicating these lyrics to Jolyn, because if she remembers the things we talked about not too long ago, she’d find them meaningful too haha.

Good day to everyone; I’m in an incredibly good mood right now :)

Funk machine

2007-04-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

I will kill/steal/beg just to get my hands on 1 of this.

The Fender American Vintage '62 Precision Bass.

Ja au revoir

2007-04-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

We had a little gathering at Xian's yesterday night for dinner and drinks, because Da Ja will be flying over to USA for a university work-study scheme in 2 weeks time. Most of the guys were there, and even Ken made it. In fact, he was largely responsible for the magic that went on in the kitchen, which brought to the table all the good food the boys love.

We ate well - there was beef stew, shepherd's pie, baked potatoes, lagsane and meatballs. Kenny and his helpers sweated in the kitchen for many long hours, and everything that came out of there was just fucking amazing. Shame that i arrived midway through dinner, but i promise photos the next time so you can drool.

And then we drank well too. All conceivable kinds of alcohol could be found in abundance behind Sheng's bar, and all through the night, he mixed from this massive arsenal to quench the guys' insatiable thirst for his fantastic cocktails. That said, all I had was 1 lousy beer haha.

And Ja received from us a leather bounded pocket journal, which is possibly his first normal gift from us. (That doesn't mean the leather thong or the multi-speed vibrator we gave him for past birthdays will lose out to the journal in terms of practical value. I'm sure Ja makes good use of everything we have given him.) So, if you are reading this Ja, other than using the journal for the obvious, which is to chronicle all your overseas trysts/exploits/romps, we hope you can ink down the interesting things you will be discovering there and share it with us when you come back. Without the accent of course haha.

With Jerry and Tay flanking Ja with emo faces, he looks quite like the leader of a boyband here.

Lastly, no gathering's ever complete without a friendly tussle with Yannie. Usually its everybody vs him, and last night was no exception. This time, he got pinned down and got his balls prickly heat powdered. Then a short while later, he got pinned down again and had his ass spanked and poked at. And before everyone called it a day, we brought him down one last time and gave him a major wedgie. The funny thing is, for too many reasons to remember, Yannie will try pinch somebody's nipples, and when the person fights back, then suddenly everyone is on Yannie like a pack of wolves. Feels a little like the "Lord of the Flies" to me haha.

This was Round 1.

The wedgie went so high his underpants almost went over his head. Bastard pretended to look at the Polaroid and crumpled it in his hand, then someone accidentally burnt it with a cigarette. See if you still can make out the picture.

Men and their saucy fun

2007-04-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

Eating at Botak Jones is kinda like going into an arena where the men duke it out over heaps of cooked meat, with fries stacked nearly as high, and an absurd amount of condiments to round it all up into a meal where only the strongest (but not necessarily the fittest) can survive.

Men can argue how the Whopper is slowly but surely shrinking in size, turned into a ghost of its former glorious immensity. They will also point out to you, that the Big Mac isn't really big at all. (Though in comparison with the rest of what Macdonalds has to offer, I suppose the name "Big Mac" might work then, and that's saying alot.) But at Botak Jones, they challenge you to even dare complain about the proportions of the food they serve up. Once the plate is set down in front of you, its possible you might experience a sudden temporal memory loss of the word "small" and all of its synonyms. The average man will order the Botak Burger, the benchmark of masculinity. The big eaters will order the Double Botak. And then you have the elites with appetites few can match. They order the You-Crazy-What??, 450grams of beef patties smothered in melted cheese and served with a pyramid of fries. Just yesterday, some of us guys went down to the branch in Clementi. Most of us took on the Double Botak, and though I know this is not the most accurate of yardsticks, I guess we can still be very much assured of our "Manliness" haha.

Which brings me to what my post title is all about. Being men, its an in-built thing for us to want to eat the biggest burgers. And also being men, its natural for us to give in to our impulses to do stupid things (Also called "Jiak Ba Bo Sai Pang") after a good hearty meal. And so halfway into the meal, Andre started doing the whole Shake-Squeeze-Squirt thing (uh sauce bottles), and we ended dinner with 2 pieces of exquisite organic art. Enjoy.

Mr Peanut was originally borne out of Andre's imagination. Unfortunately I don't have the picture of Andre's "Good Christian" version, so you guys have to make do with the bad nut.

If this is the only kind of rocket they fire, the world will be a better place.

And now, a special picture of a seemingly harmless calender...

Can anybody tell me why does this calender look so wrong??

Moving pictures and unboxed music

2007-04-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

Nope. Nothing crazy which happened in the past few days to tell you people about. No bearded ladies or pugnacious senior citizens, no best mates (e.g. KH) rolling about on the ground and eating grass, no ingenious master pranks, nothing of those sort. But come to think of it, I do remember a very solemn Sean detailing to Jerry and I, the undeniable existence and purpose of UFOs in our modern world, over dinner last week. That would make an interesting story, but let’s leave it for another time.

But of course, that doesn't mean the week was anything short of being great. Last Sunday Jolyn and I watched Freedom Writers, the latest Saint-saves-students movie which did raise a few thoughts with its portrayal of American youth apathy and racial segregation, perpetrated by a prejudiced education system and street gang feuds. Before that was Music and Lyrics, and while I don't usually watch romantic comedies, the witty dialogue and charming performances from Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant made the movie thoroughly enjoyable.

I met up with some of the guys too, before their overwhelming revision schedules consume what remaining free time they have left. Last week Jerry, Sean and I made a trip down to Arab Street, searching for a live Jazz café recommended by Andre. And while there, we discovered that Arab Street, well known for its Shisha bars and cafes, also has pretty damn good Mediterranean food. Jerry and I shared a Lamb carcass cooked with special herbs and served with fragrant rice. It was so good we licked the plate clean, though for 2 persons, the portion leaves more to be desired. Jerry says I was exaggerating, but I swear I can finish the thing by myself. A little down the street we found the place we were looking for, the Blu Jaz Café. Im not sure if the band that played that night was the resident band, but they were definitely good. The music was a blend of experimental keyboards, jazzy bass playing, and light but fast drumming. Music aside, the beer was affordable and the food (judging from the fish and chips Sean ordered) seemed decent too. Im going back there for sure.

Then just a few days back, we went to Crazy Elephant at Clarke Quay. This time there were more of us, probably because the draw was live rock music. Jerry and I met first, then KH, Yeja, Sheng and Richie joined us later. The band that played that night mostly did blues rock covers. There were Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, and even a skewed version of The Door’s "Backdoor Man" which included some parts of "The End". Technically they were very good, with both guitars taking turns to play fantastic solos, and the drums and bass providing excellent rhythm support. Listening to them play for almost 2 hours was pure pleasure, reminiscent of the time when we were at Bangkok’s Rock Pub.

The only regret I have, was not taking pictures at any of the places, or rather in this case, no videos of the bands playing. Oh well, remind me to bring my camera along the next time I’m going to explore another live music venue, so you can listen to the good ones play here.

Fishing at Mandai

2007-04-05T06:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, its not the blogging fever that got me posting twice today, Im just damn excited about the results of today's fishing trip haha :D

My dad and I wanted to lure fish for a couple of hours at our new fishing spot at Mandai, but luckily dad had the good sense (though against reservoir regulations) to bring two reels of hand lines. Our rods couldn't reach the deeper parts of the reservoir, whereas the catfish bait on the hand line did the trick.

Here's what we hauled in, our first Toman catch:

The 2kg beast is tough as hell. Even as Im here typing, it still defies death in my kitchen sink.

I got a feeling I'll very much resemble my dad 20 years from now.

This must be my favorite spot at the moment.

So you think you can dance

2007-04-04T23:37:00.000-07:00

Last sunday's trip to Marina South's Live Seafood Steamboat yielded an amazing discovery - the humble crab has more talent than some of the contestants who competed in the Dancefloor. Why, look at this one little fella go! Nevermind that his body isn't quite in one piece, but its simply beautiful...

Tying a string (of words) around my finger

2007-04-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

Well, here goes the Adam to all the rest of my posts to come. And it will do exactly what my title says, that is, to remind me in the future why I picked up blogging.

Up till only a few months ago, the idea of blogging has never appealed to me as a way of journal keeping. Reason being, when the blogging boom took off, majority of the blogs I had visited out of curiosity were mainly tepid, uninspiring entries about daily mundane routines. There were almost nothing interesting at all, and whats the point of archiving something nobody wants to read. (I don't think anybody wants to, during a boring day at work, read an entry they posted half a year back, about a boring day at work. Unless there's something comforting about how invariably unremarkable your life is.) It had never occurred to me back then, how much potential the humble blog has. Simply put, I had taken a look, seen nothing exceptional, and have since thrown the idea of blogging out of the window. But of course, that wasn't the only reason. I am also a bit of a technophobe, so the thought of fiddling with all those codes and stuff scared me haha...

However, a few months back, i got back in touch with a group of close friends (you know haha) after a hiatus of a few years, and the easiest way to catch up on what they have been doing all this while, was naturally to go snooping in their blogs. That was then, i realised, that other than the narcissistic and obsessive use of a blog as if it was little more than a mirror of their lives that some people has been using it for, the blog is quite indispensable as a tool to keep precious memories. The human mind has its failings and limitations when it comes to storage capacity, so what's better than a journal of invaluable memories you can revisit again and again, without the fear of having to grapple with brain fade? (I'm really quite forgetful) Besides, I have been out of school for too long, starting to write again will do me some good.

And so, here we are, Numero Uno. Hopefully the times to come will constantly be interesting enough to make me want to write about it, else i might degenerate into one of the "Same Shit Different Day" people. Wish me luck.