Boy-Girl-Relationship

Check these articles that MSN have on their website: 5 Guys that Gals should date, and 5 Gals that Guys should date.

i think thats absolute bollocks. you dun need to learn all of life's lessons through a partner. a guy can learn that sex is not everything by dating a seductress (read: nympho >.<). duh?! of course sex isn't everything. any man who thinks sex is everything, should be locked up and have the words 'sex maniac' branded/stamped on his forehead. a gal can learn life's values by dating a older guy (read: sugar daddy >.<). wtf?! you can learn this stuff from examining your own or others' lives. any woman that dates an older guy just to learn life's values should be locked up along with the 'sex maniac' and have the words 'bimbo' stamped/branded on her forehead. if one's reason/s for entering a relationship is anything other than affection or love, it would seem hypocritical to me. i think such a relationship would only end in painful separation.

Honestly. *shakes head* what's with the world these days? it seems to me that every single webpage has adverts or posters screaming 'find that special someone!' or 'boost your love life!'. we live in sad times, my friends, we live in sad times. haiz...

oh yeah, and A Happy New Year to all of you! see ya guys next year. :)

Fingers-and-Toes-Crossed

I've just realised how much fun it is to play/muck around with html tags. kinda interesting to type codes/tags in and see the results they produce (not that i like to produce the ENTIRE code by myself >.<). when using simple html tags in the 'comments' section of Blogger, it gives me a tiny warm feeling of satisfaction to see it produced the way i want it to (ok ok, i'm starting to hear calls of 'control-freak', better stop >.<).

in relation to the above paragraph, i've rummage through the entire html code of my Blogger template and added a new section: Other Blogs that i read (yes yes, i'm very proud of myself -.-). so far, all of them are Big Banana's friends and i hope they won't be offended that i link my blog to theirs. they are those that i consistently read, mainly becoz i feel that they are really interesting.

• Naughty Girl: otherwise known as Adrienne/Adrenaline, her posts are interesting and uncommon.
• Animal Nut: otherwise known as Becky, her posts are humorous and lace with irony.
• Purple Monster: otherwise known as Barneysaurus, his posts are just plain funny, even the name is funny already. :p
• Green Monster: otherwise known as Green Orge, his posts are cool.

perhaps i'll add more when i've found other interesting blogs too. like i say, i fervently hope they aren't offended that i've linked them to my blog. will be depressing if they ARE offended and ditch their current blogs to make another one, in efforts to remain in anonymity (if you are reading this and want me to remove the link, DO tell me via comments and i'll do so straightaway).

Tis' the season to be jolly: A weekend aftermath

A friday of laughter and games at my company's christmas lunch (A sorry looking reindeer and christmas 'scarecrow' was the result of A 'dress-up' game >.<). after A handing in of time-slips to the job agency, A surprise visit to my oliphant's workplace with A bag of (long-queued-and-waiting) Famous Amos chocolate-chip-macadamia cookies, and to give her heart and encouragment for the christmas crowd. :)

A saturday tim sum buffet lunch with my oliphant's folks at Teahouse, China Square. A 'Narnia' movie screening at Shaw Tower. A night of renewing intimacy with my oliphant.

A 7am wet sunday morning rush to my oliphant's workplace. A belly full of fire after A family dinner of codfish curry fishhead at Toa Payoh and A monday full of slacking.

yes, it was A good weekend. :)

P.S: i saw on telly the christmas crowd at orchard and shuddered. a few people who were interviewed, talked abt enjoying themselves, the chrstmas spirit and buying last-minute presents. how on earth can you enjoy yourself when you have push, shove and bull-doze your way to the huge throng of inconsiderate shoppers, gawkers and by-standers? Sheesh. (-.-)

Ho Ho Ho...

Went out for dinner on saturday with my oliphant, flowerger, judess and the rest of the wollongong gang (yes flowerger, its wollongong gang not gong gang, the latter sounds too cheesy >.<). SOMEONE told us the meeting place would be at Shaw Tower *glares at flowerger, can see flowerger glaring sullenly back*, and didn't further clarify that its at bugis, not orchard (actually its partly my fault for not knowing and clarifying with flowerger beforehand, but edmund and judess also got confused, so i guess flowerger has to take some blame for it >.<). in any case, the meeting time was 7.30pm and my oliphant drove by to pick me up before heading down. due to the confusion and traffic jams, we got to Shaw-Lido at abt 8ish before realising that it was the wrong Shaw (yes yes flowerger, i can see you protesting vociferously your innocence but humour me lah >.<). so we helter-skelter out and made our way to the proper Shaw, by which it was already close to 9ish. sighz. off to a bad start, but it sure didn't dampen the mood throughout the rest of the night. :)

it was good to see all of them and i really enjoyed chatting and catching up. as a result, i honestly didn't notice the crappy service by the restaurant. it was only after mi and oliphant's ordering of our late dinners, were we told of the long waiting times and small portions (no flowerger, its not your fault for choosing a bad restaurant). tired of waiting for the smokers to come back (can see judess blushing in the corner >.<), we sang and celebrated jess's and roy's birthday without them. then came the exchanging of pressies. i got a blue doggy mug from rosie and my oliphant got chocolates from judess (think it should be gone by now *grins*). i think judess got my oliphant's car keychain, rosie got a chicken clock (from who ah? i dunnoe leh, can someone clarify?) and flowerger obtain a male's cologne, which she exchanged for a female's perfume with joshua (think someone is trying to tell u something, flowerger *sniggers* >.<) Ali helped pay for our dinner and we were grateful for that *shouts out a huge 'thank you' to Ali*.

as we headed out whilst still chatting, i caught sight of the good-nature bickering between the girls. my oliphant was 'jealous' becoz flowerger and judess were a 'couple' (they were hugging each other >.<). after further claims of being a 'lesbo couple', my oliphant got even more 'jealous' (coz no one invited her >.<), stomp her tiny foot, cock her hips while 'glaring' at the offending 'couple' (who 'strangely' looked indifferent >.<). she looked so 'angry' but adorable then and i would always remember that sight with a smile on my lips. the 'couple' finally relented and had a group hug with all the girls in, squeezing flowerger to a pulp. *grins* it seemed like a really long time since i saw them hugging each other, the last time being back in wollongong, i think. anyway, it sure represented our mood and the good time that we were having.

went for sheesha thereafter at arab street with judess leading the way (she's 'expert' already, being there so many times :p). after much cajoling and persuasion, mummy's girl: flowerger decided to stay with us a bit longer. as we continued to chat and talk crap till 2ish, flowerger showed further signs of her 'closet lesbian' nature by displaying her matching keychains and handphones with rosie (be afraid, pinkys, be very afraid >.<). being past her bedtime, flowerger had a headache and left for home ealier in a mercedes cab (think she must be sssooo happy to go home in a mercedes sia >.<). my oliphant then gave roy, judess and edmund a lift home, travelling nearly round the whole singapore. with edmund in telok balang (near World Trade Centre), yishun-boy roy, judess in hougang, my house in tanah merah, my oliphant must have had a tiring night driving all of us before heading back to her home in clementi. much of the journey can be best described in the directional instructions 'just keep going straight'. >.<

i had a bbq with my relatives on sunday and my poor oliphant, who didn't sleep coz she didn't feel like doing so, join me after her work. my female cousins came with their boyfriends and my younger bro's girlfriend turned up as well. i caught a sight where my cousins and me with our partners feeding each other during the bbq dinner. it struck me how much we have grown over the years and i felt a sense of togetherness, which i rarely felt before among my extended family. i really hope that my 'generation' (meaning my cousins, brother etc etc) would be able to continue the tradition of getting together. my oliphant had to be bullied/shooed into bed after being caught napping on the sofa. played mahjong with my bro and cousins till the end before fetching my grandmother, uncle and oliphant home at the end of the night.

all in all, it was a good weekend. i had a great time and thanks to flowerger for organising it (yah lah yah lah flowerger, i'm thanking you, i'm not all that shameless, y'know >.<). it was good and comforting to see all of us together and catching up on each other's lives. although there were occasional times where i could see a bored expression on some of us, i think i can safely say that we had enjoyed ourselves. 2005 is coming to a close and a brand new year looms on the horizon. looking back, it has been good year and i wonder what fortunes the next year will bring. ah well, let tomorrow worry for itself for each day has enough troubles of its own. oh yah, Merry Christmas to all of ya! :)

Friends and Time

Yesterday, i re-enrolled for my last session in my BE(Mechanical). 2006. has it been that long? have i really spent that long a period in Oz? the last time i checked, it was only 2002 when i enrolled for the first time, being introduced to Flowerger and Caffeine Addict, looking around Australia and the University with wide-eyed wonder, probably acting and looking like an idiot and suaw-ku. of coz, things haven't changed much since. i still meet up with flowerger and caffeine addict (to their eternal regret >.<), no longer look around with wide-eyed wonder, but with dull-eyed interest and i'm still an idiot (i'm sure flowerger will agree vehemently on this >.<).

has it really been three and half years since then? darn... where does time go? an answer to my own question: either in front of us, or behind us, depending on how you look at it. see? i'm still behaving like an idiot, answering my own questions (i can see flowerger nodding her head so violently it looks like its gonna fall off >.<)

but seriously, i can't believe it has been close to four years that i've spent in Oz and knowing all of my friends. in six months, i will graduate (hopefully, and barring any unforeseen circumstances *trying to grab some wood to touch*) and join the workforce (better term for 'rat-race'). sheesh. now i wish i can continue studying. i'm absolutely dreading, detesting and not looking forward to waking up early every morning. (-.-)

it has been a good three and a half years and it was my pleasure and honour to meet all of you (yes yes, you too, flowerger, and stop trying to look over your shoulder!). hugs (hugs only, judess, no kisses, not even under a mistletoe :p) and thanks for putting up with me, my inital and presently-sometimes-relapsing kan-chiong-ness, my blurness and idiot-ness (all right all right, flowerger and pinkys, stop beating it to the ground, dammit! >.<). i'm grateful for knowing all of you and most especially, my oling oliphant. i count those years and the up-coming ones as the happiest time of my life. i've found the wife of my heart and friends who will be there when i need them (hopefully! >.<).

all right. now that we've gotten that out of the way, do i get bigger christmas presents/angbaos? *grins* ok, i better run. (i can see flowerger leading pinkys, judess and the others, advancing on me with grim faces, now scrabbling and running for my life).

*throwing a shout while racing away* see ya guys tomorrow at gathering! :)

Money is the root of all evil. And yet...

A few weeks back on my way to work, my mother was talking to me as i drove (actually 'nagging' would come closer >.<). she was discussing her worry about my younger bro's girlfriend who has had a brain tumor removed before and may experience a relapse. my uncle (who is my mother's elder brother) has a wife, who currently has a second-stage cancer. my mother's point was this: that although it is our lives and our choice on who we choose as our mate, it is ultimately fate that decides everything. therefore on that point, my mother was worried that the impact of any relapse on my brother's girlfriend, will affect my brother's life and force him to adopt a less 'successful' life, not unlike my before-mentioned uncle who has owns a factory and could have more 'successful' if not for his wife. at that point of time, i mentally scorn and dismiss her view. i thought to myself: what about love? is love not more important that being 'successful'? love would prevail against all odds and is foremost, in my opinion.

last friday, i had to attend a funeral on my parents' behalf. one of my grandmother's god-sister died and i drove there with my grandmother, uncle (another one of my mother's younger brother, not the before-mentioned one) and aunt (my mother's elder sister). being a representative of my parents and not being particularly close to the deceased (i only see her during chinese new year), most of my time was spend sitting with my mouth closed, eyes and ears open. some of my mother's family (meaning my uncles and aunts) attended and i could seriously picture how they were when my uncles and aunts were young. one of my aunts initally looked like she was going to unleash the water-works ('cry' for the ignoramus >.<), but looked better after much chatting. i talked with my uncle most of time and answered the occasional usual qustions thrown at me by the other relatives (like what i'm studying and what year i'm in >.<). my uncle half-jokingly suggested that i become a plumber so as to better my chances of obtaining the australian PR, and to earn better money. i rebutted his claim and said that to do so would waste my time and expenses of the four years of university education. the following is more or less the conversation after:

uncle: yes yes. i'm not saying that you are wasting your time in university. all i'm saying is that you should keep an open mind when you look for your job.
me: then you could have said it better, isn't it? for example, you could have asked me first what i liked to do, and then suggested that i do that, instead of suggesting plumbing.
(momentary pause for a second or so)
uncle: i think you and i are different. for me, i would do anything and any job, so long as i survive. and you focus on what you like to do instead. i think its because of the times that i lived in. we were really poor when young and our priority was survival. your priority is liking what you do. granted, liking what you do is important as your work would become easier. but given me a choice, i would rather do any job, go through life and at the end of it, say to myself: hey, i survived. i fed and supported my family. thats whats important.

for a moment, i sat there stunned. i have heard of the often debatable issue on whether money is everything, and i've always sided the view that money is NOT everything. but after those chats with my mother and uncle, i start to wonder otherwise. is the drive and ambition is to have more money, that sinful and wrong? if the reason behind doing so, is to survive and support the family, would that make it wrong as well? we are talking about SURVIVAL: the basic and instinctive human nature to kick and strain for your life. the base emotion that all animals have and drives them to struggle in a hunter's trap and net, to run/fly/swim their fastest when pursued by a predator. the willingness in everyone to take on, fight and battle anyone who threatens.

i truly wonder now...

What?

I think there is a guardian angel for each and every one of us. they protect us from certain death, danger and possible dismemberment. and depending on you, your guardian angel might be working overtime, slacking, having a holiday or working part-time. kinda like a muse, really.

last night, i thank my guardian angel for saving my sorry ass a few times. and i dun think this is the first time either. thinking back on my life, there were any number of times, including tonight, that i had close shaves.

perhaps i should start making offerings to my guardian angel. hhmm...

Who?

"Some people are pragmatists, taking things as they come and making the best of the choices available. some people are idealists, standing for principle and refusing to compromise. and some people just act on any whim that enters their heads.

I pragmatically turn my whims into principles." - Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes

Why?

There are times when you hear certain stories abt things happening to others, you think to yourself: hey, it happened to 'other people', not me. but when it happens to you, all of a sudden you become the 'other people', and your illusion of life gets stripped away.

your head and emotions are in a whirl, somehow trying to disbelieve the news but the stark and naked truth stares at you point-blank. you start thinking if you should re-assess your life's goal and future. you stare at a distance, stoning and your heart grows heavier with depair.

somehow, life has become less certain after all.