I like maxims that don’t encourage behaviour modification.

I know this song is very old. But after being indoctrinate by her in Chinese songs, i find this melody absolutely enchanting.

I’m writing you a message in code. How do you spell “nincompoop”?

So i'm trying to orgranise a barbecue for my colleagues this coming Saturday. While trying to provide directions to my place, the following emails were exchanged.

---
Original email by me:
Subj: BBQ - 6th November - Address and Directions

Hi all,

Summary
Event: BBQ
Total pax: 21
Payment per person: TBC
Driving Directions:

• Coming from the West, take the ECP and exit at BS. Turn right at the first traffic light junction and keep heading straight. You will pass a temple on the left and a mini bus terminal on the right at a traffic light junction. After the said junction, JHS will be on the left. My unit is XXX.
• Coming from the East, take the UCRE and turn left at the BR junction. Travel along BR, until you pass by a Cold Storage on the left, and a hawker centre on the right. The road will curve to the right. JHS will be on the right.
• Coming from the North, take the CTE and then PIE. Exit at BNR, and turn right at the first traffic light junction. Go straight all the way until you reach a T-Junction. Turn left and you will soon see a mini bus terminal on the right at a traffic light junction. After the said junction, JHS will be on the left.
• Coming from the South i.e. Sentosa, take your helicopter and fly to BC. Land there and then get your chauffeur to drive you to JHS. xD

Public Transport Directions:

• For Buses, take 10, 13 or 14. Coming from the West, once you pass BC on the right, alight at the coming bus stop. Facing the road, walk right until you reach JHS. Coming from the East, once you pass the Cold Storage on the left and the hawker centre on the right, alight at the coming bus stop. Facing the road, walk left and cross the road. You will see JHS.
• For MRT, take to TM MRT. Once you reach, give me a call and i'll pick you up from there.
• For Taxis, please refer to the Driving Directions above.

-----
WK's Reply:
Chinatown is South? Any lobang for helicopter?

-----
My Reply:
Hi all,

As for parking spaces, there isn't any multi-storey carpack nearby. You guys can park along the small roads. As long as you don't obstruct the driveways of other houses, its ok.

As for helicopter lobang, you can call 1800-CARELESS-AIRWAYS. Please contact BC for any helicopter parking spaces.

-----
WK's Reply:
Got parachute? Pilot included? How to go home?

-----
My Reply:
Pilot is considered as add-on services, so there will be extra charges. Parachute not included. But since you live in the South, i presume you can afford it. Please contact your chauffeur when you want to go home.

Boy, when it’s this hot, I don’t want to do anything at all. Fortunately, that was our plan from the start.

"The Catalyst"

God bless us everyone
We're a broken people living under loaded gun
And it can't be outfought
It can't be outdone
It can't be outmatched
It can't be outrun
[x3]

No
And when I close my eyes tonight
To symphonies of blinding light

God bless us everyone
We're a broken people living under loaded gun

Like memories in cold decay
Transmissions echoing away
Far from the world of you and I
Where oceans bleed into the sky

[x2]
God save us everyone
Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns
For the sins of our hands
The sins of our tongues
The sins of our fathers
The sins of our young
No

And when I close my eyes tonight
To symphonies of blinding light

God save us everyone
Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns

Ooh

Like memories in cold decay
Transmissions echoing away
Far from the world of you and I
Where oceans bleed into the sky

Lift me up
Let me go
[x16]

[x2]
God bless us everyone
We're a broken people living under loaded gun
And it can't be outfought
It can't be outdone
It can't be outmatched
It can't be outrun
No

All this was funny until she did the same thing to me.

Because she doesn't believe me, and as per her request, here is a excerpt from the Rulebook of Boyfriends:

Rule #523
The Boyfriend reserves the right to poke, tickle or tease the Girlfriend. This is the divine right of the Boyfriend and serves to keep the Girlfriend on her toes.
Example:
Her: Why you tickle me?!
Him; Because i'm your boyfriend.

Rule #524
The Boyfriend reserves the right to laugh at the Girlfriend. This is to show how comfortable the Boyfriend is, in the relationship.
Example:
Her: You're laughing at me!
Him; Yarh.

Rule #525
The Boyfriend shall agree with the Girlfriend, subject to the topic of discussion. This is to show the support and love of the Boyfriend.
Example:
Her: My bedroom is in a mess.
Him: I agree.

Rule #526
The Boyfriend shall always pay compliments to the Girlfriend. This is to show how much the Boyfriend loves the Girlfriend.
Example:
Her: I look fat in this dress.
Him: Your eyesight is damn good.

Rule #527
Should the Boyfriend find her behavior unbecoming, he shall advise the Girlfriend on what to do. This to ensure that a resemblance of manners exist, even at home.
Example:
After eating dinner...
Her: *burp*
Him: What are you suppose to say?
Her: Excuse me.
Him: Good girl.

All rules and regulations are made with the consultation and agreement of the Boy-Friends Federation, Singapore (BFFs). The BFFs reserves the right to change, alter, add or void the rules and regulations stipulated in this book. In addition, the BFFs reserves the right to have the final say in any matter. Any objections, arguments or criticism from the opposite gender shall not be entertained, discussed, or approved.

Let’s just sit here a moment… … and savour the impending terror.

Out of sheer frustration, i stomped on the accelerator far more than i usually do

As i watched the needle climb past 4,000 rpm, the Civic's i-VTEC engine roared into life, echoing my anger and fury.

A maniacal grin cracked on my face.

That sounds and feels SO good, i thought.

“I think we need to change the rules.” “Oh, you want to play the sissy way now, I bet.”

Death by Remedial Training

After completing 1.2km in 6min 10sec, he tried to run 400m in under 1min 40sec.
He succeeded, but died in the attempt.

Those shall be the words engraved on my tombstone. -__-

We don’t ATTEND parties. We just CRASH ‘em!

Their beat and rhythm is really quite a sight to behold, regardless of whether they are using knives or drum sticks.

To beat out the rhythm again and again for almost two hours? Just absolutely brilliant.

It’s BIOLOGICAL! Girls mature faster than boys! You just got a better grade because you’re a girl! It’s not fair.

Two real-life examples of the difference between man and woman:

Example One:
While in the car...

"That's a Lamborghini." I pointed out excitedly for her to see. The sleek low body, the menacing shape in gun-metal grey and the bark of the glorious engine.

"Its ugly." She sniffed.

"Why is it ugly?!" Was my horrified reply.

"It's ugly because it's so low!"

"It's low because of aerodynamics!" I argued.

"It's still ugly. And it's noisy!" She retorted.

"It's a Lamborghini, dear. All Lamborghini-s are loud and brash." I said wearily.

Example Two:
We went to Wing Tai Industrial Centre for a warehouse sale of Dorothy Perkins. The minute i finished parking the car...

"Retail Therapy!!!" She yelled and charged straight into the store.

Me? My ankle was hurting, so i hobbled as fast as i can, after her.

End result? She didn't buy a single thing.

And to treat her failed retail therapy, she bought and ate cheng teng.

Sigh... -__-

I have all these great genes, but they’re recessive. That’s the problem here.

Me: (...) I try to blog once a week.

Her: Why leh? Why must you blog once a week?

Me: Hhhmmm.... I blog once a week for two reasons. Firstly, i blog what was on my mind for the past week or so. Secondly, i blog to maintain the writing style. Once you don't write/blog for a long period, you lose the writing style.

Me: Even though i don't write anything, i will put up a YouTube video or something. I think its important that i maintain contact with the blog. I don't want to lose touch with it.

I was just about to use my stupendous powers to liberate some cookies being held hostage on the top shelf of the pantry!

Such a gentle song and a peaceful backdrop.

You could see how she immerses herself into her music, living and breathing each musical word and note.

With such a musician, the camera complements flawlessly and delivers the perfect combination of song and scenery.

A most excellent music video.

A man’s home is his castle. But it shouldn’t have to be a fortress.

It doesn't get any easier when you visit the Mandai Crematorium for the second time.

The final shutting of the door. The soul-rending wail of despair. The last good-byes. The heart-breaking moments. The moment when you realise that the person is gone forever.

The touch of death is cruel and heartless. When it touches your extended family, you are left cold and hollow inside.

When it finally touches my family, I really don't know how I will be able to cope.

二舅母, commend me to God when you see Him. May you rest in peace and enjoy Heaven's grace.

I don’t think I’d have been in such a hurry to reach adulthood if I’d known the whole thing was going to be ad-libbed.

This video was done by a group of researchers called Shift Happens. It really does show us how much has changed and that we are truly living in exponential times.

Below is their latest video for 2009.

A house with a tiger is never a home.

As she slept peacefully beside me, i gaze upon her beautiful face. She looked so contented and happy.

That image of peace, tranquility, beauty and bliss.

It will forever be burned in my mind.

I love her.

Tuesdays don’t start much worse than this.

I have been thinking about something lately. Something quite extraordinary, and perhaps frightening, happened to me during my diving trip at Pulau Redang.

As divers, we each carry an air tank to breathe underwater. Obviously, there is a limit to how much air you can bring down and how long you can stay underwater. Some of these factors include your weights, your breathing technique and the dive depth.

For obvious safety reasons, we are usually told that at 50 psi, we must inform the Dive Master that we're running out of air. The Dive Master will then usually make plans for surfacing soon after.

However, during my first dive at Pulau Redang, i did not inform my Dive Master that i had reached 50psi.

In fact, i only informed him when i reached 0psi.

I remembered that i was thinking to myself when i reached 50psi: Its only a little bit further. I want to see more, dive more. I don't want to spoil the experience for others. I can still breathe, so its no big deal.

Even when i reached 0psi, i still didn't panic and thought to myself: Hey, i still can breathe. Its ok. I should be able to make it.

What i didn't know, was that i was slowly slipping towards eventual death. I was slowly losing consciousness, and my movements were slow and lethargic. I was in that particular mental state where you are just on the brink of sleeping: You are aware of your surroundings and yet, somehow not. Everything is hazy and you don't seem to have the energy to move quickly.

The Dive Master was shocked when i indicated i had 0psi left and he indicated immediately for us to surface. He also gave me additional air from his tank.

Once i had breathed from his air tank, everything came back with a sharp focus. My air-starved brain started working immediately, and i surfaced with the rest with no problems. Once on the surface, i got a scolding from my friends and the Dive Master.

Now that i'm here and have done some thinking of my own, i shudder to think of what might happened. I might have lost consciousness without anyone knowing the true reason. I might have decided to take a short nap and never wake up. I might have died without even knowing.

All in all, it was definitely my own fault that i didn't inform the Dive Master. I should not have taken the risk and should have indicated to him early on.

I definitely would not want to try that again: the fatality of Death's alluring call and experience of slipping to Death's Doorway.

My parents’ idea of a wild night is to mix a scoop of real coffee in with the decaf.

No gentleman should ever hit a woman. Domestic violence is just a vicious cycle repeating itself over and over again.

Dignity and Respect. Two values which has been lost in today's society.

Now I know we said things, did things that we didn't mean
And we fall back into the same patterns, same routine
But your temper's just as bad as mine is
You're the same as me
But when it comes to love you're just as blinded
Baby, please come back
It wasn't you, baby it was me
Maybe our relationship isn't as crazy as it seems
Maybe that's what happens when a tornado meets a volcano
All I know is I love you too much to walk away though
Come inside, pick up your bags off the sidewalk
Don't you hear sincerity in my voice when I talk
I told you this is my fault
Look me in the eyeball
Next time I'm pissed, I'll aim my fist at the drywall
Next time. There won't be no next time
I apologize even though I know its lies
I'm tired of the games I just want her back
I know I'm a liar
If she ever tries to fucking leave again
Im'a tie her to the bed and set this house on fire

---

Happy National Day, everyone.

I think night time is dark so you can imagine our fears with less distraction.

"Airplanes"
(feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore)

[Chorus: Hayley Williams (B.o.B)]
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now
Wish right now
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now
Wish right now
Wish right now

[Verse 1: B.o.B]
Ya, I could use a dream or a genie or a wish
To go back to a place much simpler than this
'Cause after all the partyin' and smashin' and crashin'
And all the glitz and the glam and the fashion
And all the pandemonium and all the madness
There comes a time where you fade to the blackness
And when you starin' at that phone in your lap
And you hopin' but them people never call you back
But that's just how the story unfolds
You get another hand soon after you fold
And when your plans unravel in the sand
What would you wish for if you had one chance?
So we're playin' airplane, sorry I'm late
I'm on my way so don't close that gate
If I don't make that then I'll switch my flight
And I'll be right back at it by the end of the night

[Chorus: Hayley Williams (B.o.B)]
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars? (Shooting stars)
I could really use a wish right now (Wish right now)
Wish right now (Wish right now)
Wish right now (Wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars? (Shooting Stars)
I could really use a wish right now (Wish right now)
Wish right now (Wish right now)
Wish right now (Wish right now)

[Verse 2: B.o.B]
Ya, ya, somebody take me back to the days
Befo' this was a job, befo' I got paid
Befo' it ever mattered what I had in my bank
Ya, back when I was tryin' to get a tip at Subway
And back when I was rappin' for the hell of it
But nowadays we rappin' to stay relevant
I'm guessin' that if we can make some wishes outta' airplanes
Then maybe oh maybe I'll back to the days
Befo' the politics that we call the rap game
And back when ain't nobody listen to my mixtape
And back befo' I tried to cover up my slang
But this is fo' the hater, what's up Bobby Ray?
So can I get a wish
To end the politics
And get back to the music
That started this shit?
So here I stand and then again I say
I'm hopin' we can make some wishes outta' airplanes

[Chorus: Hayley Williams (B.o.B)]
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars? (Shooting Stars)
I could really use a wish right now (Wish right now)
Wish right now (Wish right now)
Wish right now (Wish right now)
Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars? (Shooting Stars)
I could really use a wish right now (Wish right now)
Wish right now (Wish right now)
Wish right now (Wish right now)

[Outro: B.o.B]
I could really use a wish right now
(I could really use a wish right now)
I-I-I could really use a wish right now
(I could really use a wish right now)
Like, like, like shootin' stars
(Like shootin' stars)
I-I-I-I could really use a wish right now
(I could really use a wish right now)
A wish, a wish right now
(A wish right now)

This is one of those things you always figure will happen to someone else. Unfortunately, we’re ALL “someone else” to someone else.

“It was so instantly clear that I wondered how I could not have seen it.
Then I knew.
Each time I had studied the board, I wondered how it could have got into such a sorry condition. All I had seen were the senseless moves that had preceded mine. But those moves had no longer mattered, once I hold the black stone in my hand.”
- “Assassin’s Quest” by Robin Hobb

Why is it that everyone seeks accountability? Even when the event is plainly accidental and is an act of nature? Even when the fault lies not with others, but with themselves?

To me, accountability is just another excuse to pin the blame on someone else. Do you really think that people are interested to know what went wrong? Do you really think people are curious to find out why?

I think not.

The flooding in Singapore was an act of nature. The amount of rain was tremendous and we should count ourselves fortunate that most of our sewers were well-designed and are able to cope.

But no.

Everyone focuses on the troubled area. Everyone looks at the flooding and asks "Why?".

Our teachers educate, guide and inspire our young. They impart valuable knowledge and life skills to our children. And yet, when the children disrespects the teacher, the teacher is powerless to do anything because the children will complain to their parents. Who will in turn complain to the principal, the Ministry and even the Prime Minister if need be.

And yet, the parents blame the teachers when the child misbehaves.

I really do think our society's behavior, mannerisms and ethics are degrading.

What happened to Respect? What happened to Self-Responsibility? What happened to the Human Touch?

It appears that no one knows the meaning, nor practise these words anymore.

“‘A man sees the darkness coming and he fears only for himself,’ Harald remarked. ‘He never thinks of others.’
‘And if he does think of others, too often he says, ‘Let them fend for themselves’, Laurana added sadly.”
- “Dragons of the Highlord Skies” by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

At 7.00am, Mom’s not very philosophical.

We wanted to catch the sunrise at Changi Beach.

But we ended up catching mostly clouds and a few orange streaks across the dawning sky.

Sigh...

Better luck next time.

Don’t you hate it when your boogers freeze?

When you dive, you enter another world.

A watery world of silence. A world of vivid colors and shapes.

A world which teems with life. Endless wonders which you marvel at. Graceful fishes and marine life swim by, sketching a beautiful ballet in the circle of life.

And that is the reason why i dive: To see such graceful marine life in their natural habitat. It really is a sight to behold.

The worst part is that I don’t even have the fun of doing the stuff I’m getting blamed for.

"I don't want the public to see the world they live in while they're in the Park (Disneyland). I want to feel they're in another world."
- Walt Disney on Disneyland

And so, i turn another year older among much friends, laughter and silliness.

Most importantly, i spent it with her.

"It has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid."
- Walt Disney on Disneyland