the space in-between

We have moved!!!!

2010-07-14T21:54:00.001+08:00

We have moved!!!
http://keystothecoffeemachine.blogspot.com

Random thoughts

2009-11-28T11:29:00.002+08:00

I don't know how many people read the papers yesterday but this is what the head- lines read; Civil Servants not getting any bonus.
Sucks doesn't it. I know that we suffered a recession this year but we have still worked hard and I believe many of us have worked even harded as with all the budget cuts and less personnel around. The worst part about it is, even though the recession has hit everyone, some friends of mine in the private sector are getting 3mths bonus. Well, I don't really know how the system works. I know they said we will be getting the usual 13mth bonus plus 0.25 of a month but its capped at $750. For a whole year of work thats all they are giving us? We did not even get our mid year bonus.
Its times like this when you start to realise that maybe these are some of the small reasons why no one wants to stay in the civil service line. There is so much more money to be earned outside and I honestly think we get treated better outside. I'm not saying work is easier outside. Work maybe harder, longer hours but you are recognised for your work. Over time has over time pay. Good work is rewarded. In the civil service line, like being a militry man like I am, you just get paid for being in whatever rank you are. No matter how much work we do, no matter how good our work is, we still get paid the same as someone who is the same rank as us but doesn't do any work.
Oh well... no point complaining. Nothing will change. Or rather, it might change but it'll take a really long time.
on another note...
Why can't people just move in when they are standing in the MRT train? I know I don't take the train often as I drive but why is it that Singaporeans are just so insensitive? When the doors open, why do the people outside block the doors and don't let anyone off and when those finally get in to the train, why can't the people move in? Why does everyone want to stand near the door? The center of the train is empty but no one will move to stand there. They just jam pack the door areas. Then when you say excuse me to try and move further in so that people will have space to enter the train, people stare at you like you're not allowed to move in and you are some wierdo.
Courtesy DOES NOT START WITH SINGAPOREANS.
Why can't anyone say excuse me when they need to pass through a crowed area to get some where? Its not like we are going to deliberatly try nd block your way. You stupid, kiasu Singaporeans just push your way through like you are the most important person in the world and where ever you need to go is the most important. Is it so hard to open your damn mouths and just say excuse me? This habits translates to the road too. You idiots speed and cut lanes and swerve without indicating or signaling. Why? Do you all have a death wish? Yeah, maybe you think you are skilled driver but who knows, your reckless driving might cause an accident cos another driver might try to evade you and get into a accident.
I've come to accept it. Sngaporeans will always be Singaporeans. Born inconsiderate and selfish. Impatient and rude. A disgrace if you think we want to be a first world country with first class people.

A running we shall go

2009-09-18T16:14:00.002+08:00

Its been a super long time since I've written anything here. Well, I'll be writting some stuff here from now, but it'll take a new turn. My love for running seemed to have wained alittle but recently I've been running almost everyday and I've sarted to love it again. So lets go running...

We should have just turned right...

2009-04-19T20:10:00.002+08:00

A bolt out of the blue. Darkness seemed to slowly creep up from behind the island. We looked at each other and started to dread the worst. Inevitably, the sound of rolling thunder summoned up our worst fears. Jumping of the boat we made our way along the jetty. There I was, wearing my new sunglasses, trying to look cool when the rain started to fall. Thankfully it was a slight drizzle and it lasted a mere 10 mins. We walked to the rental place, paid the shop keeper and made our way towards the map at the entrance of the trail. Before long, we were zooming along the tarmac, silently praying that the rain would not come. We started at Chek Jawa (not sure if I spelt that properly) and upon completion I was starting to feel the fatigue. 1 trail and I was done. How can that be? We stopped for a quick drink and continued along our way. Riding around the island we completed a few more trails before we decided to head to the dirt skill area. Open land. Knolls after knolls, as far as the eye could see. Arrows with fancy names tempted us at every corner, calling out for us to go give it a try. Succumbing to her powers of persuasion, we tried them all. The dirt skill track was the last ride before it all began. Amid the welcoming blue arrows we decided to go along the trail, with the black diamonds and arrows. the first 5 mins was interesting but the next hour or so, was an adventure we have no intention of doing again. The trail was hard. More that hard, it was insane. Maybe to those other experienced bikers, you would happily spend your time in there but we were struggling. Half the time we had to stop and carry our bikes over rocks, logs and push them up slopes so steep, it touched the sky. It did not seem to end. Forever, it went on. Finally we came out into a small clearing. Left or right? No sign boards anywhere. As the trail to the left was down hill we decided to follow it. Once again, it did not seem to end. Once again, as fate would have it, we reached a cross junction. Where too now? trying not to think too much, we decided to go on straight. The terrain got muddier and started to go up hill. After and arduous task of going up hill we came to a dead end. I hit my brakes and skidded to a halt. That's when it hit me. Both my thighs cramped up the moment I stopped peddling. I fell of my bike and tried to walk it off. Searing pain shot through me as I tried to stand up straight. Squatting, the pain eased up a little. Holding my breadth, I stood up and gingerly stretched both my legs. So much for not stretching before strenuous exercises. Getting back on my bike, we headed back the way the came. We turned right. Cycling down the stone filled road we went on for ages only to find another dead end. Moral was at a all time low by this time. Once again, we turned around and headed back in the opposite direction. From the cross junction we decided to carry on, as if we had turned right initially. Up the hill we climbed and soon we found ourselves at another dead end. We took 3 routes and they were all dead ends. Did that mean we had to re-trace our steps all the way to the beginning of the black diamond trail? It was too much. We haded back. Reaching the cross junction we went back the same we that we had originally came from. as we paddled up hill, we came back to the exit point of the black diamond trail. We stopped for a minute. Tried and thirsty, we did not know what to do. We had been peddling for over an hour and all we could find were dead ends. So after a short discussion we decided to head up hill, that means turn right upon exiting the black diamond trail. we peddled up hill for 50 meters or so, and what would you know. There was the main road. There we were, lost for over an hour, in no man's land and all we had to do in the first place was turn right. With smiles on our faces we sped off into the afternoon sun for fresh coconuts and 100-plus. What an adventure.

ice, ventti, vanilla latte please...

2009-04-02T17:41:00.002+08:00

Blink and you would have missed it. April has begun. 4 months into 2009. How time flies. The Christmas and New Year festivities seem to have recently ended. Where did all the in between time go? Diving season has begun. The new work year has begun. Semester exams are a month away. So many things, so little time.
Well, I still haven't bought my Helios 300 yet. Hoping to get it soon. Waiting for a friend so that we can get it together and bargain and get a better price for it. My knees are slowly starting to give way. It started with my right knee but now my left knee also seems to be giving way. It hurts when I try to run and walk up stairs. Its really annoying. Doc gave me some pain-killers. He gave me two weeks to take them and seem what happens.
Getting my bicycle now seems more important than ever. Cycling is probably the only type of sport I will be doing for the forseeable future. Low impact. Less stress on the knees.
Wedding planning has been going fine so far. I've been emailing a few Hotels to get their quotations for the wedding dinner packages. We have yet to confirm anything but I'm hoping to settle it asap. I'm one who does not like last minute things.
The search for the house seems to be coming to an end. Jasmine and me have found a nice place that we both like. Its also within our budget. We'll be bringing out parents to see the place over the next few days to see what they say. Hopefully it'll all work out fine.
Till the next post! Cheers!

Been busy...

2009-03-19T19:04:00.003+08:00

Well, I guess from the last article, we can safely say that Chinese guys can't dance. This month has been an interesting. I've been trying to get back in to the rhythm of running again but my knees have been hurting again. Now its not just my old injury on the right knee but my left knee is starting to hurt when I run too. I decided to go back to see the doctor about it but i haven't got around to doing it. I'll probably go see the doc next week. Since I can't run anymore, I've decided that I'm going to take cycling more seriously. I currently ride a SCOTT Aspect 50. However a mountian bike is not going to work for what I had in mind, so I'm thinking of changing my ride. I'm looking to get the Giant OCR 3 road bike.

I'm going to sell my current bike and try to save up a little more for this bike.
Another interesting thing is me an some friends have registered for an adventure race. We have only managed to send in our registration. We are waiting to see if we are short listed and if we can actually take part in it. Anyway, thats all the news I have for now. Cheers.

Not wanting too...

2009-03-08T14:22:00.002+08:00

Yesterday was my sweetheart's birthday. She just turned 23. I remember when I was 23... that was like 4yrs ago. Anyhow, together with some friends we went to Movida @ St James Power Station to celebrate her birthday. I've been clubbing for many years now, though not often, I have seen my fair share of horrible dancers. Don't get me wrong, I'n not saying I am some dancing guru myself. I can't tell the difference between the tango and the waltz. However, I know that I can reasonablly cough up some slick moves on the dance floor. In my many years of "dancing", I have come to one conclusion. The majority of the chinese people I have seen on the dance floor, they all cannot dance to save their lives. I mean, I know some chinese people who can really dance but the majority of them just "shake". I mean, they have no sense of rhythm. They just shake their bodies all over the place. Its comical and yet sad to a certain degree. I am a believer that when you dance,you should just close your eyes, feel the beat and move to it. Move to the rhythm of your heart. Feel the beat, feel the music and move. Dance is an expression of ourself. Its not about looking cool. If you are a good dancer, sure, you can dance to look cool. But people like me who have no formal training in dance, should just move to the beat. Try not to be soo self-concious. Don't shake. Shaking up nd down or on one foot does not translate to dancing. It just looks weird. Then again, maybe that's what your body is tellingyou to do and that's how you interprete the music. If that is so, I feel sorry for you.

The foundations have been laid.

2009-02-08T19:14:00.002+08:00

Yesterday, Jasmine and myself attended a wedding convention at Suntec. This would be the 3rd convention that we have attended. Up till now, we've just been spetators looking around. Yesterday, however, was different. We sat down and talked to a few studios that did the wedding photos and stuff. After talking to 2 different studios we were still not sold on anything. At the 3rd booth, there was something different about the people. They seemed more fun. More honest and so much easier to relate too and talk too. Somehow, after talking with them, both Jasmine and I believed that this was the studio to go with. We liked their work and Jasmine loved their gowns. So we took a full wedding package which includes to studio shoot, outdoor shoot, wedding albums and wedding dress and everything else. I won't go into details here as there are quite alot of stuff we got from them. Total damage was $3388. But I am willing to part with it as Jasmine was really happy with them. Anything for her.

www.zwedding.com.sg

2009-01-06T08:40:00.002+08:00

For no particular reason, here are some of my top 10s in a few different genres. (not in order of merit)

My top 10 favourite MOVIES of all time.

1. Top Gun
2. Fight Club
3. Batman: The Dark Knight
4. The Shawshank Redemption
5. Memento
6. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
7. Almost Famous
8. Reservior Dogs
9. Sleepers
10. Interview with the Vampire

My top 10 favourite BANDS of all time.

1. Metallica
2. Oasis
3. Led Zeppelin
4. Guns and Roses
5. Foo Fighters
6. Nirvana
7. The Ramones
8. Green Day
9. Muse
10. Incubus

My top 10 favourite BOOKS of all time.

1. A million little Pieces
2. A curious inccident of a Dog in the night time
3. If minds had toes
4. Choke
5. The Alchemist
6. Macbeth
7. Vernon God Little
8. Wide Sargasso Sea
9. The Valkyries
10. Life of Pi

Well, if you have never watched any of these movies, read any of these books or heard any of these bands, what are you waiting for? Go get your hands on them and enjoy. Then again, you may not... haha, to each their own!

First for the year...

2009-01-02T13:45:00.002+08:00

Greetings from the other side of the Universe. I've been away exploring the furthest reaches of the stars and thus have been unable to update anything in my blog. Apparently, the 27th nebula, a thousand light years from here doesn't have WiFi. So much for more advanced civilizations.
Firstly, I want to wish everyone a blessed belated Christmas and a Happy New year. 2008 has been a year full of ups and downs. I don't want to get into full details of my year, I will share that in the up coming blogs, so I'll just leave this blog to the well wishes for the year.
May the new year bring you all joy and prosperity and may you and your family have a wonderful year ahead. Take care and love you all.

P.S : I should be returning to earth some time withing the next lunar cycle, when the moon is at its fullest. Cheers.

Long time coming...

2008-11-07T13:51:00.002+08:00

Well, it really has been a long time coming. I haven't really had to time to blog and every time i try to upload photos into this blog, a "bad gateway" error always happens. It is starting to piss me of a little.
Anyway, its has been an interesting week. Congratulations to Mr Barak Obama. I was hoping that he would win. Looking back it now seemed kinda one sided but you never know with these Americans these days. At the last election, I actually thought Kerry would win but that idiot Bush some how managed to stay in office. Congrats again. The first Black President of the United States of America. Who thought we would actually see the day.
Its a month to go to Christmas. The economic recession has taken the shine out of the whole festive mood. Everyone is so scared of spending. Companies are letting people go. Others are not hiring. Fresh graduates are having a difficult time finding jobs. On a lighter side, I was not really planning on spending so much at Christmas this year anyhow and I wasn't really looking to receive presents like I did last year. I am saving up some money for next year. A lot of things are happening next year.
Well, its Friday today. Time is 1419h. I'm off from work. Jasmine is in school now. She has 2 exams today. Wish her all the best. My exam is next Monday, 101108. Been spending a lot of time with my PS3. Currently playing Soul Caliber 4. I love the online mode. Fight against people from all over the world. FIFA 08 is also damn cool to play online. Going to buy the new game 'Little Big Planet' next week. Tried the demo at the SONY shop and it is damn cool. You all should go to the PS3 website and check out the trailers.
Currently, I'm looking forward to the 15th of Nov '08. Its UFC 91. Ultimate Fighting Championships, for those who don't know. We can't get it here in Singapore but I watch most of the stuff online at their website, www.ufc.com. Brock Lesnar is fighting Randy Couture for the Heavyweight Championship belt. For the uninitiated, it is not wrestling. Its MMA, mixed martial arts and its all real. No bullshit fake wrestling like in WWE. How I wish I could watch it live here.
Well, I've said enough for now. Will come back and blog tomorrow after Man Utd kick Arsenal's ass in the EPL tomorrow night. Glory, Glory Man UTD!!!

Its been a wonderful 26yrs so far....

2008-09-21T15:45:00.003+08:00

Birthday Wishes

2008-09-03T15:07:00.003+08:00

AF NIKKOR 50mm f1:1.8D. Cost: $209.14

Oakley Radar, Metallic Red. Cost: starting price $400
Man Utd Away Jersey with the no.9 and Berbatov's name printed on the back. Cost: estm $130
Guitar Hero 3 for Playstation 3.(Jas is getting it for me) Cost: $149

Tioman Dive Trip - 150808

2008-08-23T14:41:00.006+08:00

A Sea Turtle

Michelle, Jasmine and me on the dive boat.

Me with the rest of the leisure divers on the dive boat.

Jasmine and me. (Had to hold her hand so she won't go shooting to the surface.)

Me and a fellow diver surfacing after a dive.

Deserts before lunch... haha

A Nudibranch. (A Sea Slug)

A Sea Turtle. (Again)

Breakfast on Tioman Island.

Jasmine and me.

Jasmine and me again.

NO! Its called a clown fish, NOT NEMO!

Jasmine and me. (Jasmine trying to clear her ears)

Sixty feet below...

2008-08-18T14:56:00.002+08:00

It has been an eventful weekend. Michael Phelps has made history by securing 8 Gold Medals in this year's Olympics. Winning 1 Gold Medal is a difficult enough feat on its own, let alone winning 8 Gold Medals, breaking 7 world records along the way. Michael Phelps is truly a freak in the water. Closer to home, Singapore has finally won a Silver Medal in the Olympics. Its been more than 50 years since we last won a medal in the Olympics and it couldn't have come sooner. Congrats to the ladies of the Table Tennis team which brought home the Silver Medal. Woo Hoo!!
Anyway, I just got back from another weekend of diving. It was an interesting weekend for diving. It was Jasmine's first leisure dive trip. On our first dive Jasmine had a lot of problem descending. She did not seem to be able to sink. When she finally managed to get to the bottom, she had trouble keeping her buoyancy. I don't really blame her as it was her first ever leisure dive. The dive master made me hang on to her hand the whole dive so that she won't go shooting to the surface. It was really difficult and by th end of the dive I was suffering from narcosis from all the going up and down trying to get Jasmine to stay neutrally buoyant. I was feeling light headed and was having a terrible headache. After lunch I decided to stop diving to get some rest. Jasmine carried on diving with the rest of the group while I took a short nap to clear my head. After dinner we watched the Arsenal match and then I went back to rest for the next day dives. Thank goodness I felt so much better the next morning and diving was excellent. Saw some huge puffer fishes and a really big jelly fish.
On the way back to Mersing from Tioman, the boat we were traveling on ran out of fuel. Can you believe that? No petrol in the middle of the South China Sea. Were were floating around for about 20 mins before help came. We eventually made it back to mainland and got home safely. Interesting trip.

Olympic highlights

2008-08-10T18:15:00.002+08:00

Its the 2nd day of competition at the Beijing Olympics. At this point of time as I am writing this, China is in the lead with 4 Gold Medals. Michael Phelps has won his first Gold Medal in his pet event, the 400 meters Individual Medley, in a world record time of 4 mins 03.84 seconds. Will he reach immortality by surpassing the record of 7 Golds in a single game? Watch the drama unfold over the next few days. The Olympic Games have been exciting thus far. I happen to catch the men's boxing prelims last night and I think this is so far the quote of the Olympics:

Commentator: "Julius Jackson is taking more hits than Google at the moment..."

Huume Dee Yaa, Huume Dee Yaa

2008-08-08T08:16:00.002+08:00

"I love the whole world, I love the whole world..."

Go check out Discovery Channel for this song. Its a promo for all the cool shows on Discovery Channel and also a save the world awareness advert. Bloody cool.

Save the World!
1. Leave the car at home. Take public transport.
2. Recycle.
3. Switch off all appliances when not in use.
4. Take a shower, don't fill the tub.
5. Stop littering in our seas.
6. Stop poaching the endangered animals.
7. Stop killing sharks for their fins.
8. Stop polluting the atmosphere which contributes to global warming.
9. Switch from petrol to CNG.
10. Spread the word, Save the World!

There is one thing that till today I still cannot fully fathom. Why are there so many poachers in the world still willingly killing all the endangered animals? I know that the demand for these endangered animals are very high. Tusks of elephants, skins and animal parts of tigers and other wild animals. The question is, don't they realize that once they have killed all these animals they are never going to see one again. They will be gone for good. Its scary to think when environmentalist tells you that there are like 400 Chinese tigers left in the world or like 1000 brown bears left in the world. What will we do when these animals are all finally killed or they all just die off. We will never get them back. Just like how we are killing the sharks for sharks fin, eventually there will be no more sharks in the world. Go figure.

The weekend getaway.

2008-06-23T12:55:00.005+08:00

In my 4years of diving, I've never come across waves as big as the ones I've accounted last weekend. Even on my live on boards, where we sail into the open sea to dive, I've never seen or dived in conditions like this. In all honesty, I was quite scared. We started our dives on Saturday. It was rather uneventful except for the surprisingly strong current. But it wasn't something I could not handle. I've been in bad currents before and this was considered mild. However, on Sunday morning, the weather had turned for the worse. The wind was starting to pick up and the sea became really choppy. We decided to take the risk and go out to see what was the conditions. We reached Labas (Stella, I hope I spelt it correctly) which was about an hours journey from P.Tioman. We jumped in and carried on with our dive. But upon our ascend, we started to feel the pull of the ocean's currents. When we surfaced, the dive boat was no where in sight. Wave after wave hit us and me and the 4 other guys I was diving got separated. It was hard to see over the swells as it was almost 2 meters over my head. I was swallowing salt water fast. My mask and regulator came off. I tried to to look out for my friends. Eventually I spotted them and we tried to swim towards each other. That took up most of the oxygen that was left in my tank. I was now low on oxygen and my limbs were tired from fighting the currents and waves. After about 20 mins of fighting we finally spotted the dive boat. We slowly swam to the boat. I used up the last bits of air I had in my tank and with a desperate lunge I managed to grab the tow rope behind the boat. I gingerly pulled myself to the ladder of the boat. As I began to take one of my fins off, a huge wave hit and sent me crashing into the hull of the boat. Stunned and throwing up salt water, I blindly lashed out for the ladder. Luckily I managed to find it. Removing my other fin, I managed to climb in to the boat, not before being slammed by the waves a few more times. Damn, I had fun. I know it was scary and stuff, but its all part of diving. Learning to overcome nature's elements its tough but for the opportunity to dive and see the wonders of the ocean, I'll carry on doing it. Here are some of the photos of me and my dive buddies and Jasmine doing her Open Water Diver Certification.

Its been a while...

2008-06-16T21:52:00.003+08:00

Its been a while since I last blogged. I've been rather busy sice my last post. The passing of my best friend was a major shock to me. It all happened so suddenly that it seemed so unreal. I still wake up in the middle of the night and cannot believe that he's left us. Beside that, work has been really busy. I just completed a 6 weeks upgrading course. It wasn't the most demanding of courses but there was a lot of studying and reading to be done. What made it more challenging for me personally, was that my Uni semester exxams were right smack in the middle of the course. It was really a challenge to balance both my studies and my course at the same time. There was really a lot of reading involved both ways. On the plus side, I just returned from a 4 day, 3 night Church Camp at Port Dickson. I really had a lot of fun. It was really good to get away for a while after all the studying and exams. I'm also looking forward to this coming weekend. Going diving at P.Tioman. I really cannot wait. It's been a really long time since I last went diving. Can't wait for this friday. Anyway, here are some photos from my recent Church Camp. Enjoy!

In Loving Memory

2008-05-10T10:08:00.004+08:00

In Loving Memory of,
Tay Yong Ming Jordan
26th April 83 - 4th May 2008

Rest In Peace brother.
We will meet again in paradise one day,
but till then, goodbye.
You were loved and will always be in our hearts.

I like them sunny side up...

2008-05-01T20:53:00.000+08:00

Cool advertisments

2008-05-01T20:51:00.000+08:00

Reality Sucks....

2008-04-30T05:31:00.000+08:00

His grace is sufficent for me...

2008-04-09T22:36:00.003+08:00

2 Corinthians 12:7-9

7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

I am not one who talks much about my job, let alone share with anyone the problems I face at work. Don't get me wrong, its not like I have no friends at office or my colleagues are back-stabbing me. My relationship with my colleagues are fine. I really don't know what I would do without them.

Anyway, recently the management have been implementing new rules and regulations in my office. I'm fine with change but there has to be a line to how much change you can implement. There are so many changes it is like social reforms on a daily basis. It is bloody ridiculous.

Part of me has been trying to show the management that the new systems don't work. Its miserable. No one feels like going to work. Its like there are blocks of cement chained to your feet when you walk into office every morning. The morale is rock bottom. The sight of the management makes everyone sick.

In my heart I've been wishing and hoping that the management would see the errs of their way and get rid of all the new rules. But something I heard at Alpha course today made me realize something. Like in the verse above, Paul asked God to remove the thorn in his side. Just like how I wish the new rules and regulations would go away. But God says that his grace is sufficient for us.

I realized that I have not put my trust in God and trust that it is his doing. Everything that happens, God allows it to happen for a reason. I should stop trying to change it and embrace it. With God's strength I can conquer any obstacle. Instead of asking God to remove the thorn in my side, I must have faith that God's grace is enough for me to face each dy at office and overcome the challenges that emerge with change.

The Alchemist.

2008-03-18T20:27:00.004+08:00

The Alchemist. By Paulo Coelho. Its been a really long time since I last sat down to read a book. I happened to be a Borders last night and I bought 3 books. They were on sale. Buy 3 books but only pay for 2 of them. (I'm such a cheapskate) Anyway, I bought the 3 books and took one of them with me to work today. Surprisingly, I managed to finish it at work. It wasn't the thickest of books but it was a really good book. I've read 'The Pilgrimage' by Paulo Coelho and I really enjoyed it, so I thought I would read 'The Alchemist'. It was a fantastic book. The way he writes is amazing. It is such a simple story of how a young boy chooses to follow his dream. How he takes a step of faith to fulfill a quest that even he does not know the outcome. How a dream spoke to him and the adventures of his incredible journey of self discovery. A must read for all!

Do you know why we have global warming?

2008-03-02T15:07:00.002+08:00

Because Captain Planet is dead!. If he was still around, he'll take pollution down to zero!

Check it out!

2008-03-02T15:05:00.001+08:00

http://www.jazz-them-up.blogspot.com

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

2008-02-19T20:45:00.002+08:00

Well, well, well... its been 2 days since he left. It still hasn't really kicked in. I know he's gone but I guess I'm so used to him being at camp and only coming back during the weekends that I don't really miss him. But for those who don't already know, my youngest brother, Raj, left for Brisbane on Sunday. He's off to University of Queensland to study. He's be there for 4yrs studying law. Well, Raveen is in America studying, Raj is now in Australia studying and both my parents work. Well, I go to work too and I also go to University but I still am home alone a lot. I miss not having my brothers around. Its funny, when they were around i found them irritating and i didn't really want to talk to them, but when they are gone, I start missing them. Raveen has been away in the US for close to 14 months now. I have no idea when I will see him next. Raj just left and won't be back till the end of the year. Its going to be a lonely and quiet year ahead in my house. Anyway, till I see them again, I hope they take care of themselves and study hard.

What is Love...

2008-02-14T09:47:00.001+08:00

Love Defined

What is love, but an emotion,
So strong and so pure,
That nurtured and shared with another
All tests it will endure?

What is love, but a force
To bring the mighty low,
With the strength to shame the mountains
And halt time’s ceaseless flow?

What is love, but a triumph,
A glorious goal attained,
The union of two souls, two hearts
A bond the angels have ordained?

What is love, but a champion,
To cast the tyrant from his throne,
And raise the flag of truth and peace,
And fear of death o’erthrow?

What is love, but a beacon,
To guide the wayward heart,
A blazing light upon the shoals
That dash cherished dreams apart?

And what is love, but forever,
Eternal and sincere,
A flame that through wax and wane
Will outlive life’s brief years?

So I’ll tell it on the mountaintops,
In all places high and low,
That love for you is my reason to be,
And will never break or bow.

- Matt Dubois –

Love is in the air

2008-02-14T09:36:00.002+08:00

Everybody knows what day today is. Its Valentine's Day. A day when the price for roses goes up 10 times, regular dinners are double what it was yesterday, special couple promotions everywhere and of course today is all about love.
I am no word-smith nor am i any good at writing poems. So instead of attempting to write something and totally spoiling your appetites, here is something for everyone...

Love Is ...

Love is the greatest feeling,
Love is like a play,
Love is what I feel for you,
Each and every day,
Love is like a smile,
Love is like a song,
Love is a great emotion,
That keeps us going strong,
I love you with my heart,
My body and my soul,
I love the way I keep loving,
Like a love I can't control,
So remember when your eyes meet mine,
I love you with all my heart,
And I have poured my entire soul into you,
Right from the very start.

- Meghan –

Words from a broken man.

2008-02-12T14:00:00.000+08:00

What does one do when he realizes that he has nothing left to look forward too? How could I have been so stupid? There she was, right in front of me and I did not seize the chance. I had her in my arms and I took her for granted. I thought that I could take my time in changing. Was it my pride? Was it ignorance? Just like the children's tale of how the boy cried wolf. I've cried wolf twice now. Both times she came, because she trusted me. I have betrayed that trust. My heart feels like lead. Thrown from the boat, I sink into the depths of the abyss. I don't believe that I am an evil man. I don't even think I am a bad man. Misguided, maybe. Irresponsible towards others feelings, maybe. To proud to admit my mistakes and seek help, yes. But I'm not a bad man. I don't intentionally do things to hurt others. Sometimes my actions hurt those closest to me. Believe me when I say, I never wanted it to be that way. Many times, I do things or say things without thinking how it might affect others. I do and say things at the spur of the moment. Reckless and stupid I may be, but I'm not an evil person. I never meant to hurt anyone. My life now hangs by a very thin thread. I cannot blame anyone but myself. It is my doing. My irresponsible actions that has lead me down this path. I know the word 'sorry' has no meaning to you. But some how it is the only thing I know how to say. Before you came along, I could never say the word sorry. My pride was too big. 'Real men' don't apologize. Or so I thought. But now, its the only word I can say. I don't want end up like the little boy in the story. I don't want to meet the real wolf and when i cry for help, there is no one there. For right now, the only words from a broken man is, SORRY.

from behind the clouds...

2008-01-25T22:45:00.000+08:00

Thoughts of my amazing Christmas and New Year still linger in my mind. Snapping back to reality, you realize that Jan is almost over. In less than a week it'll be Feb and Chinese new year will be on us. I miss Christmas season. It was fabulous having all my family and friends around during thats time. Wish they were around more often. But, alas, as some of them are living overseas, I don't really get to see them much. I miss Raveen. He is off in Texas studying. I haven't seen him in over a year and I have no idea when he's coming back for a holiday. If that's not bad enough, Raj is leaving for Australia in a couple of weeks time to further his studies too. That leaves e home alone. It wasn't much fun when Raveen left. but now that Raj is leaving, its going to be really quiet at home. No one to talk too. Oh well... life goes on!
Jasmine has really gotten into the whole teaching routine. She's always staying back late in school to finish marking and having to conduct remedial classes and CCAs. I'm really happy for her as this is what she really wanted. So I'm very very happy for her.
I've been the same. Busy at work. School doesn't start for a couple more weeks, which means when it does start, its going to get really hectic. I kind of miss school. Studying in SIM is fun. When I'm at school, i feel like a real student. Hanging out at the canteen, going for lectures and tutorials. Doing tutorials and writing essays. It sorts of gives me a sense of belonging. I've always tried to run away from the stigma of being classified as a SAF regular. Its not the most interesting of conversation topics. Some times when people ask me what I'm doing now, I just tell them, I'm a student. It makes life so mush easier at times.
This year is going to be interesting. There are lots of things that are going to be happening and lots of things that I need to do. I'm not going to state them all, but I'll keep you all informed when it does happen.
Something in the near future that I am really looking forward too is INCUBUS. If you don't know what INCUBUS is, they are like the greatest band in the world. They are coming to Singapore and I want to watch their concert so bad. Its going to be at Fort Canning Hill. It is so, going to ROCK!

Blessed is I.

2007-12-31T15:16:00.000+08:00

Well, Christmas is over for another year. 2008 starts tomorrow and in all honesty, I'm not really looking forward to it. I'm very happy with my personal life but its more of my office life that I'm not really looking forward to next year. There is going to be many changes and a lot more projects to work on. Anyway, this year's Christmas was fantastic. I really got a lot of wonderful presents from many wonderful people. Here is a list of stuff I got this Christmas:

1. Nikon D200 DLSR Camera
2. Crumpler "7 million dollar home" camera bag
3. Sony Playstation 3
4. 16GB Ipod Touch
5. Transformer Master piece set.

I know its just 5 presents, but as you can see, they are not cheap presents. The Crumpler bag is the cheapest at $166. so you can only imagine how much the rest cost. All I can say is thank you and I really am blessed. I love you all!

Thankful for what I have...

2007-12-07T20:12:00.000+08:00

Once again, it's the month of December. Christmas is just round the corner and I'm having a hard time keeping up with it. As each year passes by, it seems as though time gets faster and faster. It seems like the year 2007 was just starting and now its the end of 2007 and we're going to be ushering in 2008. Where has all the time gone?

On another note, I just returned from the Philippines yesterday, or early this morning, to be more precise. I went there on a mission trip to conduct a youth camp for the kids there. I am really glad I went on this trip. You can never fully understand the good life we have here in Singapore till you've visited a country where there is so much poverty. It was really an eye opener. When I mean poor people, I mean really, really poor. Poor as in, no clothes, no food, a family of 7 live in a space which is the same size of a standard HDB Flat toilet. These people are that poor. There is even a village where people live that we call "Smokey Mountain". This place is actually a rubbish dump. When I went to visit some of the houses there, the smell of the place is enough to make many Singaporeans faint on the spot. The smell of rotting food, dead animals, mud, shit, urine, the smell of thousands of people who have not bathed in like weeks, soiled clothes and many other horrible smells. These people build a small wooden hut no bigger than the toilet over the all the rubbish and they live there. It is so sad. It really makes you think. Here we in Singapore complain everyday about everything. Food not nice. Clothes not branded. Drive expensive cars. Live in big condos. Want to work in high paying jobs only. It has really changed my outlook towards life. Below are some pictures of my trip.

Words of Wisdom

2007-11-06T23:08:00.000+08:00

I read an interesting quote today;

"Age adds wrinkles to the body,
But quitting adds wrinkles to the soul".

So bloody true.

I wonder what God will say if he saw this......

2007-10-27T15:46:00.000+08:00

The wonderful world of english....

2007-10-27T15:43:00.000+08:00

F@#%ing awesome

2007-10-16T23:15:00.000+08:00

hilarious mime...

2007-09-30T22:03:00.000+08:00

Good Ol' Chuck.....

2007-09-20T22:57:00.000+08:00

It takes Chuck Norris 30 minuets to watch 60 minuets.

There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck Norris allows to live.

Chuck Norris counted to infinity. Twice.

There is no chin under Chuck Norris' beard. It's another fist.

Chuck Norris gave Mona Lisa the smile.

Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming "Law" and "Order" are trademarked names for his left and right leg.

Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water, and MAKE it drink.

Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

Chuck Norris doesn't wear a watch. He DECIDES what time it is.

Chuck Norris can do a wheelie on a unicycle.

Chuck Norris died ten years ago, but the Grim Reaper can't get up enough courage to tell him.

Superman owns a pair of Superman Pajamas.

Chuck Norris doesn't sleep, he waits.

When Chuck Norris is doing a push-up, he isn't pushing himself up, he's pushing the whole world down.

Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because Chuck Norris only recognizes the element of surprise.

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, Chuck Norris can actually roundhouse kick you yesterday.

Chuck Norris doesn't stub his toe, he accidentally destroys chairs, bed-frames and sidewalks.

It's believed that dinosaurs are extinct due to a giant meteor. That's true if you want to call Chuck Norris a giant meteor.

Arnold Schwarzenegger stole the phrase "Get into the chopper, NOW" from Chuck.

Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

Chuck Norris' fists are named Shock and Awe.

Chuck Norris is the reason that Larry the Cucumber (Veggie Tales) doesn't have any arms.

Chuck Norris has knocked out so many teeth that he could make a real-life model of a shark head.

truly grateful...

2007-09-12T16:34:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was my 25th birthday. Yes, I'm getting old. Every year, I don't usually celebrate my birthday. Its usually jut dinner with the family and dinner with Jasmine on another day. However, this year was a surprise. Firstly, Jasmine and my parents planned surprise birthday party for me. I was really touched. It was held at my place but everyone who came told me how hard Jasmine had been working the last few weeks calling everyone and planning everything. For that, I am truly, truly grateful. Thank you darling. It really meant a lot to me. Secondly, on my birthday yesterday I was on guard duty. I know you all maybe thinking how can I be so unlucky right. In all honesty, I wasn't really bothered about it. I mean, I already had a wonderful surprise birthday party on Saturday. So, there I was, in camp doing guard duty on my birthday. You know what, my colleagues surprised me by coming into office at 10pm last night bringing food and a birthday cake. They said that they couldn't let me celebrate my birthday all lone in office doing guard duty. So they brought food and a cake to celebrate with me. I was really really touched. It's really nice to know that I have such good friends. I am definitely one lucky guy!

a bastard in an officer's uniform...

2007-09-05T22:48:00.000+08:00

I love soccer. You can say that I'm crazy about it. Any time, any place. I could have a broken leg and still try to play soccer. Being in the army, soccer games are hard to come by. For the last 4yrs I've been representing my team in SAFSA soccer competitions. I've been the captain for the last 2yrs. This yr was no different. Once again, as captain, I played in the SAFSA soccer tournament. However last saturday I injured myself. I was playing in the annaual Methodist Welfare Society soccer competition. Its a charity tournament that helps raise funds for the needy. During the first match, I busted my knee. At first I thought it was a minor thing and tried to ice it down. The pain got worse and finally I gave up and went to Changi General Hospital. I went to the A&E to see the doctor. After a few x-rays and having some kind of painkiller injected to numb my knee, the doctor said that there was no bone or ligament damage. It was a knee muscles and tendons that were strained. I was given 3 days mc and 3 weeks of light duties. That meant no soccer for 3 weeks. What happened the following monday got me really pissed. This was the conversation I had with my SAFSA coach on my phone on monday.

Coach: Rupen, don't be late for today's match.
Rupen: Sorry coach. I won't be able to play today. I busted my knee on sat in a charity match. Doctor says no football for 3 weeks.
Coach: Don't bluff me la. You lazy to play today just say so. Don't give me this bullshit story about injuring your knee.
Rupen: What? Sir, I really injured my knee. I was at Changi Hospital. I have a doctor's MC.
Coach: Don't give me this attitude la Rupen. Just because I didn't let you start the last match you want to give me attitude right.
Rupen: Sir, if you don't believe me, you can come to my house and I'll pass you my doctor's letter. What you mean I giving you attitude? I'm the captain of the team. I've been playing for you for the last 4yrs. How can you say I would give this kind of excuse?
Coach: Its okie la Rupen. I know you la. You just like everyone else. Just because I put you on as a sub in the second half you want to give me attitude. Its okie. Nevermind. Next time you will get the same thing back.
Rupen: Sir, I have no idea what you're talking about. But if you are trying to question my integrity towards the team. After playing under you for 4yrs and you think I'll bluff you about an injury, then I'm sorry. You can find yourself another captain. I QUIT!

Well, I won't be playing for any more SAFSA tournaments. I'm glad too. After 4yrs, this is the thanks I get. Its fine with me. I've got better things to do with my life anyway. SAFSA soccer can go screw themselves. I know half the team has quit anyway. Coach, you can go find yourself a new team and captain. Screw you coach and screw you SAFSA.

the clock is ticking...

2007-09-01T23:04:00.000+08:00

Words; they hit you like a bombshell.
A cheap shot to your side.
Before you realize what has happened, it hits you.
Like an avalanche.
Fast, unforgiving.
Its white surface contradicts the color of purity.
Maybe I deserve it. Go on! Pile them on.
Buried under the cascade of truth.
Nothing I can say will redeem me.
Am I a lost cause?
I don't know. At least not yet.
Don't give up on me.
There is still some hope.
Like a phoenix, I will rise from the ashes.

Tired

2007-08-28T22:30:00.000+08:00

When I started school a month ago, I never expected it to be so tough. For those who don't know, I'm an undergrad at Uni SIM. I have done part time studies before but I never seemed to have this much work as I do at Uni now. Studying the history of english, art history, philosophy, poems and things like that has really been an eye opener. Trust me, there is a hell lot to read. I've never read so many books in the first month of school before. Trying to accomplish my assignments were also damn trying. I finally managed to finish both my assignments today. both are due in 2 days time. I am sort of happy to finally finish my assignment, but i know there are 2 more assignments due next month. Oh well... guess its all part of being a Uni student.

As requested...

2007-08-15T15:15:00.000+08:00

As requested, by my younger brother: 10 weird things about me!

1. I'm actually a very shy person. (yes, its true)
2. I'm scared of butterflies. (i won't scream and run, but I just don't like them)
3. I love reading. (who would have thought that)
4. I have a thing for shoes and bags. (you can never have enough of them)
5. I hate it when some one squeezes the toothpaste tube in the middle.
6. I hate to eat cold food. (like when food has been left to cool for too long)
7. I hate making my bed. (its going to get slept on eventually right)
8. I have terrible spelling.
9. I like the colour purple.
10. I'm a tech geek. (phones, cameras, laptops, computers, game consoles etc. etc)

What a way to start the new season...

2007-08-09T10:19:00.000+08:00

More wet dreams...

2007-07-19T21:33:00.000+08:00

There is just something about cars that most males are some how attracted too. Be it the raw power of the engine or the outrageously decaled bodies, guys just love cars. I currently drive a humble Suzuki Swift. But, some where in the near future, I'm looking to upgrade my ride to the Toyota MR-S. (The car that you see in the picture below) Its an affordable car and well, the thought of the mods and upgrades that I can do to it is already making me drool.

wet dreams...

2007-07-02T21:25:00.000+08:00

I currently own a Nikon D70s. For those who don't know what that is, its a Digital SLR. Camera, in simple words. Well, I'm selling that off and upgrading to the Nikon D200. *That's the camera you see in the picture above*. Isn' it a beauty? I can feel it in my hands already. Can't wait to get it!

Hit and run.

2007-06-30T11:01:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I was involved in a hit and run. Now, don't get your panties up in a bunch thinking you'll see my face plastered all over the Straits Times. I was the victim of a hit and run. Its not the normal hit and run that you may think. I was not struck down by a car or bus or bike. Some idiot hit my car and ran off. I was having lunch at North Point Shopping Centre yesterday. I parked my car at the basement car park of the shopping centre. When I returned from lunch, to my horror, someone who apparently tried to park their blue car next to mine, hit my car. The driver's side of the car was scratched and the whole area covering my tyres was covered in blue paint,long deep scratches and huge dents. The best part, the driver of the blue car that hit my car was no where in sight. He/She apparently took off after hitting my car and seeing that the damage was quite bad. So now, I have to spend a couple of hundred dollars to fix it. What a way to start the weekend. Totally bummed out!

People actually say these...

2007-06-27T21:15:00.000+08:00

Here on our bright sunny shores of Singapore, we suffer from a small problem. That problem is, (drum roll) english. Or rather, the pronounciation of english words. Here are a few classic examples.

EX-SKKEEWW = excuse me
MORE BETTER = much better
CHER = teacher
HOW MANY MONEY = how much is it?
NOWS THE DAY = now days
OPEN PHONE = switch on your handphone
CLOSE PHONE = switch off your handphone
PRESS MONEY = withdraw money from the ATM
MY ONE = mine
BORROW ME MONEY = can you lend me some money

These are just a few of the words we can hear on a daily basis. Its sad isn't it? Not only can't we pronounce words, we have practically killed the english language because our grammer and vocab is simply terrible. This doesn't even include the "La", "Law", "Hor" and many other irksome sounds that we add to the end of our sentences. Please, learn to speak proper english.

Melaka

2007-06-19T21:52:00.000+08:00

I just got back from Melaka. Took a short holiday there to chill out and enjoy the sights. Here are some of the photos. Typical holiday stuff. Lazing around the hotel, eating, shopping and just walking around.

Lost Sheep

2007-06-02T02:22:00.000+08:00

Deep into the night, pass the witching hour. I sit in tranquill bliss. Nirvana. Silence befalls me. Nothing, not even a whisper in the wind. My mind is racing. Thoughts, ideas, memories; flow through my body like a surge of energy. Quiet. Breathe in. Breathe out. Calm the anxiety that brews within my soul. Hands flow with motion. The words flow freely as if my hands have a mind of its own. Free? Liberated? If I am to escape from this cursed shell I must die. But is this death I so willingly seek physical or spiritual? For what good am I dead? Have I not but one life to live? Am I not mortal? But of course I am. Thus this death I seek must be of something else. Enlightnment, if I dare say so myself. The material world is not what I seek nor desire. Wisdom. Understanding. Peace. Is that too much to ask? Lost are my thoughts. If so my soul dares to dream, it wanders far from reality. To a place I cannot follow. Only in my dreams do I see it. It seems that I might be lost. All alone I stand. But I know that there is a God out there who looks after me. So divine and pure. I dare not look upon his face for I am ashamed. For I, a mere mortal, am not worthy. Alas, he reaches out to me. A hand from heaven. A life line. A bouy to hang on to in stormy seas. Who am I to deserve this? Ah, now I know. I am his. For in times long ago, I gave myself to him. A pledge I made. An unbreakable vow. For this, he saves me. Oh, but how foolish I have been. I have rejected his out stretched hand too often. Thinking, I am strong enough to do it myself. I now realise I cannot. I am weak. So very, very weak. Now I know. My God is still there. He never left. Watching over me for ages he has been. Help me. Help me to find my calling. Fulfill your destiny.

Hahahaha....

2007-05-28T20:34:00.000+08:00

Your Monster Profile

Evil Killer

You Feast On: Olives

You Lurk Around In: Closets

You Especially Like to Torment: Your Evil Twin

What's Your Monster Name?

I got this off my cousin's blog. Bloody funny, if I may say so myself. I guess I can be evil at times, I do like olives but I don't lurk around in closets and I don't have a twin... Hahaha....

Quote of the day

2007-05-16T15:40:00.000+08:00

I was talking to a collegue at work the other day. This is what he said:

"If your father is not rich, it is not you fault but if you father in-law is not rich it is YOUR FAULT!"

Makes you think doesn't it! Haha....

What kind of tree are you?

2007-05-16T15:25:00.000+08:00

Someone at my office put this up on the notice board.

What Kind of Tree are you?
If you are born between 3rd September and 12th September:
Weeping Willow (Melancholy)
Likes to be stress free; Loves family life; Full of hopes and dreams, ATTRACTIVE, very empathetic; Loves anything beautiful; Musically inclined; Loves to travel to exotic places; Restless; Capricious; Honest; Can be influenced but not easy to live with when pressured; Sometimes demanding; Good intuition; Suffers in love until they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; Loves to make others laugh.

I know it sounds kinda corny but I think its quite true. For those who know me well enough, I believe that you will agree with me that its quite accurate. I like to be stress free, I love family life, I have many hopes and dreams for my life, I think I am attractive (haha), you can say i'm empathetic, I love beautiful stuff (art), I can sing and play the guitar, I love travelling, I am very, very restless; capricious (not too sure what that means) Can be demanding at times, I think I have good intuition about stuff, I've found my loyal, steadfast partner and Yes, I love making others laugh.

Guess I am a weeping willow, even though it sounds depressing. Haha...

Time and tide waits for no man.

2007-05-09T10:10:00.000+08:00

Wow! Can you believe it? Its already 5 months into the year. How quickly time flies as you grow older. Before you know it, this year will end and 2008 will be upon us. This year has really been busy. Both work and my personal life has been really busy. Physically and mentally I've been in over-drive for as long as I can remember. I want to go away on a short holiday. I wish I could just take leave and rest at home. But the way things are going at office, I know its not going to happen any time soon. Everyone at my office is over worked. Management has been trying to prove to us that the new system of work is going to work out for the better of everyone but they keep shooting themselves in the foot. At the rate we are going, the only way anyone can get a few days off is to report sick and go on MC. A very difficult pill to swollow but thats the fact of life. As you can see from the 2 pic i put up, I'm thinking of taking a holiday, I need a break. I know I'm not going to get one any time in the near future but maybe at the end of the year. Maybe I'll take a short holiday then. Till then its just wishful thinking.

New Rims

2007-04-20T14:37:00.000+08:00

This was my stock rims.
Homa Rims (Silver) ; 185 60 R15
Bridgestone Potenza tyres.

This is my new rims.
ROTA Rims (Black) 205 45 R16
Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres.

The new rims are glossy black and they go really well with the colour of my car. (Sorry, rims and tyres look dirty, haven't washed the car yet. Will take another picture of the rims after washing the car.) I've upgraded from 15 inch rims to 16 inch rims. It makes the car look better and as my collegue, Viknesh, puts it... it looks like a "Beast"... Haha! Anyway the change of tyres was much needed as the eagle F1 tyres provide much better stability and wet handling than the old ones.

Jack Bauer ROCKS!!!!

2007-04-18T01:51:00.000+08:00

My brother, Raveen, emailed me this. For those who don't know who Jack Bauer is, he is the main hero in the hit series 24. He's like the toughest guy around and he constantly saves the world from terrorist and random bad guys. When I read this I laughed so hard my stomach ached and i was in tears. Enjoy!

Jack Bauer played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.

Jack Bauer once won a game of Connect 4 in 3 moves.

Every mathematical inequality officially ends with "Jack Bauer"

Jack Bauer can get McDonald's breakfast after 10:30

Jack Bauer has been to Mars. That's why there's no life on Mars.

If it tastes like chicken, looks like chicken, and feels like chicken, but Jack Bauer says its beef. Then you better believe it's beef.

When life gave Jack Bauer lemons, he used them to kill terrorists. Jack Bauer hates lemonade.

If Jack Bauer was gay, his name would be Chuck Norris.

If Jack Bauer had been on Oceanic 815 there would no Lost.

Jack Bauer can sneeze with his eyes open.

Guns dont kill people, Jack Bauer kills people.

Killing Jack Bauer doesn't make him dead. It just makes him angry.

If Jack Bauer was in the movie 300, it would have been called 1.

Jack Bauer doesn't eat honey, he chews bees.

Jack Bauer tells Bob Barker when the price is right.

Jack Bauer can type 90 words a minute. On his cell phone.

Someone once told Jack Bauer a "knock, knock" joke. He not only found out who was there, but also who they worked for and where the goddamned bomb was.

When Jack Bauer was a child he made his mother finish his vegetables.

Finding Nemo would have been vastly more exciting if Jack Bauer had been looking for him.

Jack Bauer could strangle you with a cordless phone.

When the boogey man goes to sleep, he checks if Jack Bauer is under his bed.

Jack Bauer is the leading cause of middle eastern men's death.

If everyone in CTU listened to Jack Bauer's instructions, the show would be called "12".

The Black Eyed Peas were just The Peas before Jack Bauer heard their music.

Jack Bauer knows Victoria's Secret.

Jack Bauer makes onions cry.

Jack Bauer won the Tour de France on a unicycle just to prove to Lance Armstrong that it wasn't a big deal.

----Bloody Funny----

vroom vroom

2007-03-22T12:16:00.000+08:00

My Car... its nothing fancy but it gets me to where I have to go. I'll be doing some changes to it soon (rims, bodykit) so stay tuned to see what it eventually turns out like.

Visit to a Nature Reserve

2007-03-17T14:16:00.000+08:00

Today I went to Sungai Buloh(hope I spelt it correctly) for a photo expedition. I was really hoping to see a crocodile but unfortunately I did not. Anyways, here are some of the photos I took of the place.

Points to Ponder

2007-03-14T12:20:00.000+08:00

Do you think someone can change their ways? Take me for example? Can I change? I know I used to be a not very nice person in the past. People hated me cos I was arrogant and stuck up. I always tried to prove myself to be better than everyone else. I don't know... maybe I still am alittle like that now. I say alot of things sometimes with out thinking how others might feel. To me, I might have meant it as a joke but sometimes I say things that hurt other people's feelings. I know I have a terrible temper. I get irritated and aggitated easily, especially when others keep asking me the same question hoping for a different answer. I know I have to learn to be more patient towards other. Am I really a bad person. I do't think I'm a bad person. I don't mean anyone harm or ill will. I guess I just have to change and learn to be humble, less impatient and more tolerent of others. I know I've changed alot from last time, but I think there is more in me that I need to imporve.

It's FINALLY HERE!!!

2007-03-08T20:31:00.000+08:00

It was around 1130h, 07 Mar 07. I was busy at work when I got a sms from Vincent. For those who don't know who Vincent is, well he's my car agent. Anyway, he sms-ed me at around 1130h to inform me that the car could be picked up at 1630h. At first I was thrown back, 1630h today? Tomorrow? Day after that? Next week? I asked him when and he repied: "Today la!" I couldn't believe it. It was finally here. It actually came sooner then I expected. I was kind of hoping that it'll come before next weekend. I couldn't wait to finish work. At 1500h, when I finished work, I met Vincent and went straight down to see my car. There it stood in the shade of the afternoon sun. Shiny black looking sleek and cool. I slowly ran my finger over the bonnet. My very own car. No more borrowing other people's cars, renting of cars and worst still, early mornings just to wait for the public transport. Well, it's been one day already. Driving to and from work was fantastic. Winding down my window, I waved goodbye to my collegues as I left my camp. I love my car!

Brotherly love...

2007-03-05T23:28:00.000+08:00

I haven't seen my brother in 2 months. Most of you should already know, Raveen is studying overseas. He's currently in Dallas, Texas. I miss him. Its weird not having him around. It funny actually... growing up, Raveen and me were not close. I actually disliked him. Why? Being the elder brother, I got blamed for eveything that he did. Apparently, I was a bad example for him. But as we grew older, we started getting along better. Going through army kind of made me more matured and I guess it was the same for him. We started talking more and we actually started going out shopping together and stuff. Raveen has always been the fashion guru. So its nice having someone to tell you what's the latest fashion, where to get them and when you do try them on, tell you if it looks good on you. Ever since he left for the United States, the house has been rater quiet. Raj, my youngest brother, is still in OCS. He graduates this coming Sat, 10th Mar 07. I'm damn proud of him. Both my parents work, Raj is in camp, Raveen is away studying so I'm stuck alone at home most of the time cos I work shift duties. It can get boring and quiet. I miss Raveen alot. Hopefully I'll see him soon, when I go over to Dallas, Texas to visit him. Till then, Take care little brother.

Drawing nearer...

2007-03-03T17:38:00.000+08:00

I would like to believe that everyone looks forward to their 21st Birthday Day. I know someone who is just dying to hit the big 21. In 4 days time it would be Jasmine's 21st Birthday. I know she is really, really excited. I'm very happy for her, though sometimes I don't share the same enthusiasm. I turned 21 four years ago. I know it makes me sound old and stuff. I guess I don't see what all the excitment is all about. To me, turning 21 meant even more responsibilities. But I'm not going to deny Jasmine a great party and a great time on her 21st Birthday. Jas, if you're reading this, just want to wish you a very Happy 21st Birthday in advance. Don't worry about the party k. It'll be fine. Trust me!

Long, long ago...

2007-02-25T20:12:00.000+08:00

25th Feb 2002
"It was a bright sunny Monday. Standing in line, I shuffeled slowly forward. It was cramped but thankfully the trip was short. Before I knew it, I was looking out towards the blue sea. Rays of light bounced of the surface as I walked along the jetty. 1330H. My time had come."

For those who have absolutely no idea what the hell I'm talking about, 5 years ago today, I enlisted into the ARMY. Today I celebrate my 5th year anniversary in the SAF. I still find it hard to accept that it has been 5 years. Time has really flown by. It seems like only yesterday I enlisted into the ARMY. Waving good bye to my parents as they stood on the jetty. Meeting my BMT buddy, Sandeep Singh. I was from FOXTROT Coy, Platoon 3, Section 1, Bed 4. My Platoon sargent was 2SG Hay. My section SGT was 3SG Chris.

I haven't seen most of my BMT buddies since we passed out of BMT but I've bumped into some of the guys after they had
ORD-ed. BMT is the best time of any solider's life. Everyone goes in blur like hell and we all have to learn to be soliders. It was really fun. SISPEC was also fun. It was tough. Training was no joke but the experiences I had there with all my buddies can never be replaced. It was special, in a weird and demented way.

Anyway, its been 5 years for me. I've got another 5 years to go. At the rate time flies by these days, the remainder 5 years left on my contract will go by quickly. Got to enjoy it while it last!

Thanks Dad!

2007-02-11T16:51:00.000+08:00

I really want to thank my dad. I was talking to him the other day about wanting to buy a car. I asked him if he could help me with the insurance and road tax payments. Instead, he gave me $10 000 and told me to go settle the down payment and the rest. With the money, within 3 days I talked to the agent (recommended by my friend) and got my car. Now I'm just waitning for all the paper work to be done and I should be able to collect it within 1 month. I really want to thank my dad for all the help. Really don't know what I would have done without him. Thank again Dad. Love you!

Phrase of the Day.

2007-02-05T21:46:00.000+08:00

Phrase : Anyone can go to Heaven, just be good! (www.justbegood.net)
Found : Rear window of a car.
Verdict : Well, It was a sticker promoting Buddhism. I'm going to be politically correct and not put any religion down but being a Christian, I believe that it takes more than good works to get to Heaven. You need FAITH!

Do you have this problem?

2007-01-30T20:14:00.000+08:00

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activities. Applications such as Poker Nigh 10.3, Football 5.0, Hunting and Fishing 7.5 and Racing 3.6 no longer run; crashing the system whenever selected.

I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking of going back to Girlfriend 7.0 but the uninstall doesn't work on Wife 1.0. Please help!

Thanks,
A Troubled User.

---REPLY---

Dear Troubled User:

This is a very common problem that men complain about.

Many people upgrade from Girfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0 thinking that is is just a Utilities and Entertainment Program. Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and is designed by its creator to run EVERYTHING!!! It is also impossible to delete Wife 1.0 and return to Girlfriend 7.0. It is impossible to uninstall or purge the program files from the system once installed.

You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is designed to not allow this. Look in your Wife 1.0 manual under Warnings-Alimony-Child Support. I recommend that you keep Wife 1.0 and work on improving the situation. I suggest installing the background application "Yes Dear" to alleviate software agumentation.

The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system will return to the normal way.

Wife 1.0 is a great program but it tends to be very high maintenance. Wife 1.0 comes with several support programs, such as Clean and Sweep 3.0, Cook it 1.5 and Do Bills 4.2.

However, be very careful how you use these programs. Improper use will cause the system to launch the program Nag Nag 9.5. Once this happens, the only way to improve the performance of Wife 1.0 is to purchase additional software. I recommend Flowers 2.1 and Diamonds 5.0!

WARNING!! DO NOT, under and circumstances, install Secretary With Short Skirt 3.3. This application is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will cause irreversible damage to the operating system.

Best of Luck,
Tech Support
----------------------------------------------------------

Got this mail at office. Thought is was hilarious and wanted to share it with all of you. Enjoy!

Snaps of the Match

2007-01-28T01:05:00.000+08:00

Final

2007-01-28T00:48:00.000+08:00

"Come on, you can do it!"
As if by magic, he dived right. He was right. To the thunderous applause of 55000 screaming fans, Lional Lewis had saved the last spot kick of the night! Today was the fist time I attended a soccer match in the National Stadium. I've been to many soccer matches but nothing prepared me for this. 55000 screaming fans was indeed an incredible sight. A magnificent sea of red swept by as thousands lept to their feet in joy. Stamping of feet, clapping of hands and songs of jubilation filled the air. Damn, it felt good.
Singapore beat Malaysia in a penalty shoot out. We didn't play all that well and we were very lucky to actually win and make it to the finals. But the atmosphere tonight is something I'll never forget. I think Jasmine too was quite awed by the presence of so many people in one voice. We had an enjoyable time. Can't wait to go watch the next match!

Nike SB

2007-01-24T09:24:00.000+08:00

Jas bought me this pair of Nike SB's. Thank you darling... I love them!

minimal inspiration...

2007-01-23T23:31:00.001+08:00

Random photo of my elephants...

2007-01-23T23:26:00.000+08:00

Che Guevara

2007-01-03T19:17:00.000+08:00

This is what I looked like after I got back from Colorado Springs. Jasmie got me the Communist Viet-gong cap from Vietnam. The shades are Oakley's which I got from USA. I kinda look like Che Guevara don't you think? Or maybe just a terrorist!

Coolest car in the WORLD...

2007-01-03T19:12:00.000+08:00

While I was on holiday in Colorado Springs, I came across this car in the car park of this chinese place we went for dinner.
For those who don't know what it is... its a DODGE VIPER!

Snowboarding

2006-12-31T07:07:00.000+08:00

Uncles, Aunties and cousins all ready to go skiing and snowboarding.

Activities in the Snow

2006-12-31T07:00:00.000+08:00

Random photos of me...

2006-12-31T06:52:00.000+08:00

Slurpee

2006-12-31T03:54:00.000+08:00

This is Slurpee, my Uncle Ravi's dog.

Uncles and Aunties

2006-12-31T03:41:00.000+08:00

Uncle Chandran and Aunt Jennifer. Their kids are Jared, Candice and Justin. They live in Colorado Springs and I stayed with them mostly during my holiday.

Uncle Ravi. His wife, Aunt Heidi, could not make it to the Christmas party cos their son was sick. Their kids are Joy, Jesse and James. They too live in Colorado and I stayed at their place for a couple of days.

Uncle Abu and Aunt Suzy. Their kids are Asha, Shantini and Anand. They live in Dallas, Texas. They came up to Colorado Springs to celebrate Christmas with all of us.

Uncle Nate and his wife. They too live in Colorado Springs. They are close family friends and joined us for Christmas lunch.

My cousins; Asha, Shantini and Anand (family from Texas)

2006-12-31T03:35:00.000+08:00

My cousins; Joy, Jesse and James (different family)

2006-12-31T03:30:00.000+08:00

My cousins; Jared, Candice and Justin

2006-12-31T03:24:00.000+08:00

Home Sweet Home!

2006-12-31T03:18:00.000+08:00

Hey there! I'm back. As much as I enjoyed my holiday, I'm really glad to be home! Most of you should already know that I was in Colorado Springs the last 2 weeks. The weather there has been an eye opener for me. The day I arrived there the weather was cold but there was no snow. For the next 4 days, the weather remained around the minus 5 degrees region but still no snow. Then it hit! Snow storm, blizzard, what ever you want to call it. Strong winds, heavy snow fall. The temp dropped to around minus 20 degrees. It was cold. Due to the weather my original flight home was cancelled. Thankfully, God was gracious and I managed to get on the next flight back home. Above are some pictures of my holiday there. Enjoy!

Christmas Wish

2006-12-29T07:35:00.000+08:00

Yesterday we went up to Cooper Mountain to snowboard. It was awesome. It was my first time snowboarding, I've tried skiing before but never really liked it. So this time I tried snowboarding. It was difficult at first but I soon got the hang of it after like 3 runs. How I wish they had snowboarding in Singapore. Anyway, I just got some bad news, my flight out of Colorado Springs tomorrow morning has been cancelled. The snow storm has not been too friendly on air travellers recently. My uncle is on the phone right now trying to get me on the first plane out of Colorado Springs. Please pray that I get a flight out of here. I really want to go home. I've really enjoyed my holiday but there is nothing like home!

A really, really white Christmas.

2006-12-22T02:12:00.000+08:00

Weather report: Blizzard. Snow Storm. Strong icy winds.

Well, the last 2 days has been cold. I mean really, really cold. According to the news, they are calling it "The Christmas Blizzard". I've never experienced snow before. I mean, I have seen snow. I've gone skiing before. I've made snowballs before. But I've never seen snow falling from the sky. So seeing snow falling from the sky was really really nice. Then it turned into a snow storm and the snow was like really high. The funny thing is, during the blizzard last night, we decided to go sledging. So we drove out to the park and went sledging in the blizzard. It was cold. The snow was up to my thigh. The wind was blowing from every direction. Snow was getting into my face, into my mouth, into my nose. My fingers were numb, my ears were so cold. Walking up the slope with the sledge in the bitter cold wind was a challenge itself. But the satisfaction of riding down the slope was beyond words. Its noting like a water slide or a grassy slope. It was fun, but bitter cold. I went for like 3 ride before I gave in to the cold. Holding on to one of the sleighs, I walked as fast as I could back to the car. Damn, it was cold. Today the weather has eased up a lot. The snow is falling lightly and there is no more wind. My uncle and cousins are out sledging now but I decided to keep warm and stay indoors. Will be going shopping later. Hope my boots are all dried up from last night's escapades.

Freezing my butt off...

2006-12-19T12:00:00.000+08:00

Greetings from Colorado Springs. As many of you already know, I left for Colorado Springs last week on the 15th of Dec for holiday. I've been here 3 days already. The weather here is really cold. Last night we went carolling with some friends. I mean as in real carolling, where we actually went house to house to sing Christmas carols to people. It was a new experience for me but I totally enjoyed myself. The only down part was the weather. It was -5 degrees. It was bloody freezing cold. Today we went to go get our snowboards cos we're leaving for the mountians on thursday for a few days of skiing and snowboarding. I can't wait. The weather is cold but I'm getting used to it. Haven't done much shopping yet. will be going shopping the next few days. Anyway, just want to say hi to Jasmine. I'm glad she had fun shopping Vietnam. Anyway darling, you take care and I'll see you soon. Ciao people!

Cos I'm leaving, on an Airplane...

2006-12-14T20:43:00.000+08:00

Well, its finally here. I've been looking forward to tomorrow for almost 4 months. Tomorrow, I'm finally leaving for Colorado Springs, Denver, USA for my holiday. Jasmine is currently in Vietnam with her family on holiday. She left today at 1430Hrs. I'm leaving tomorrow morning at 0645Hr. I won't be seeing her till the 31st of Dec, when I return from my trip. I'm definitely going to miss her. Anywhere, just like the e-mail she sent me, here's a little prayer for you darling:

Dear Lord,
I pray that you protect Jasmine and her family while they are on holiday in Vietnam. I pray that they will not be affected by the typhoon. Let her have fun shopping and visiting places of interest in Vietnam. As she returns next week, I pray for a safe journey back and that you'll look after her till I get back. Thank you.

Amen.

Jas, take care and I'll see you soon k. Love you and miss you lots! I'll buy you many nice stuff back k.

To everyone else, I don't think i'll be blogging much when I'm away, but I'll be putting up many photos when I get back. Till then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!!!

Bintan Trip.

2006-12-10T22:22:00.000+08:00

Jasmine and I have been together just alittle over 2yrs now. Its been a wonderful 2yrs and one of the contributing factors is her relatives. Jasmine and me are not married or even close to getting married anytime soon but her family members have been really nice to me! Last weekend, 8th - 10th Dec 2006, her family invited me to spend the weekend with them at Bintan. I don't know if its a common thing now days but having your girlfriend's family invite you for a family holiday which includes all the aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces is really something. I consider myself lucky to have been accepted by Jasmine's family enough for them to invite me on a family holiday. Anyway, I really thank them for always being so nice to me and here are some photos of the place we were over the weekend!

This is a picture of the Bintan Lagoon Resort villa that we stayed in. We have our own private pool plus from where I am standing taking this photo, the beach is just behind me!

As you can see, the beach is clean and the water is clear plus the waves are like really big and you can almost surf in it!

This is just an artistic angle of the beach. I put the camera on the san and took this shot making it look like the sand and sky are touching with a thin line of the ocean in between.

This is one place we went for shopping. Its called "Pasar Oleh Oleh". The place really sucks. Hardly anything to buy plus its like Chatuchak in Bangkok but like only 10 people. Its a bloody ghost town!

My First 42.195km

2006-12-03T20:11:00.000+08:00

I woke up at 4am this morning, Having a quick shower, I went in search of a taxi. Reaching the holding area opposite the Padang, I tried looking for my friends but realized that I was there too early. It was only 5am. Sitting sown on the flood I started my warm ups. Eventually all my friends arrived and we made our way to the starting point. There were thousands and thousands of people when the race was flagged off. What happened over the next few hours is something I'll never forget.

The initial run was alright. A little crowded but it felt really good. Turn around point was around 7-8km. (Can't remember exactly) As I headed out of Marina South, my Ipod Nano died on me. Its not my Ipod Nano, belongs to my brother and I have no idea why it just died. Anyway, As I hit the 12km mark I suddenly felt a tingle in my left thigh. Shit! Cramp! Pushing it out of my head I made it to the 15km mark before I had to stop and stretch. Luckily, some of my friends were waiting for me there and I added like half the tube of deep heat rub. I am now a true believer of Deep Heat Rub. It really works. Carrying on, I made it to the 21km mark with out much of a problem. Taking in some strawberry power gel, I pushed on! Suddenly at the 24km mark both my legs gave way. Cramps in both my thighs, hamstring and calves took alot out of me! I really felt like giving up. But thanks to God, who without I would have never made it, I decided to carry on. I've already made it to the 24km mark, why not just finish the remaning 18km.

I have never felt such excruciating and unbearable pain in my life. I have had many soccer injuries that can rival the pain but the feelings of cramps in both legs, blisters on both feet, abrasion on my arm due to the Ipod strap and the sheer fatigue of the whole thing is very very trying.

Well, I managed to walk and run periodically when ever my legs felt better and I am proud to say that I am now officially a Finisher of the 42.195km Standard Chartered Marathon 2006.

Looking the Part

2006-11-21T17:40:00.000+08:00

Imaginary Friends

2006-11-21T17:37:00.000+08:00

Land of Giants

2006-11-21T17:34:00.000+08:00

In the month of October

2006-11-01T01:56:00.000+08:00

Firstly, I apologize for not updating my blog in such a long time. I guess it took me a while before I found the right time and words to say what I felt in my heart. A lot of things have happened over the last few weeks. Besides the daily demands of work and school there has been two significant events that took place this month.

For those of you who don't already know, my Grandma passed away on the 8th of Oct 06 at 1955H at Changi General Hospital. I loved my grandma very, very much. I still miss her. It feels funny not having her around anymore. I was taken by surprise when my brother, who was holiday-ing in Australia, called to tell me that my grandma has passed away. I was in the car at the moment on the was to the hospital to actually visit her. As news of my grandma's passing spread around, I was still in shock. I couldn't accept it. At that point of time, the thought of my grandma not being around was unimaginable. But, yes, my grandma passed away that fateful Sunday evening.

For those of you who were fortunate enough to have met my grandma when she was still alive, I think you can fully grasp the meaning of how much my grandma meant to everyone. My grandma was a strong woman. She lived her life to the fullest. Traveling between Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, America and Canada my grandma loved traveling. I guess that the fact that many of my uncles, aunties and cousins migrated gave my grandma an excuse to travel. She was independent and loved to have people around her. She loved to have people at her house and she would always cook for everyone. She was the greatest cook I've ever know and she knew all my favorite dishes and would purposely cooked them and then invite me to her house. My grandma left behind a legacy. A wonderful legacy that not many of us will ever have the opportunity to do. Just by looking at her sons, daughters, son-in-laws, daughter-in-laws, nephews, nieces, their children and all her grand children you can tell that she had a wonderful life.

Now that my grandma is gone, I hope that she is looking down at all of us from heaven and that she is proud of all of us. I just wished that I had spent more time with her while she was still around. Maybe I could have told her how much I loved her even more. Grandma, thank you for everything. I love you so very, very much and I miss you very, very much.

Well, on a happier note, 12th of Oct 06 was also my 2 yr anniversary with Jasmine. The 2 years spent with her so far has been wonderful. Darling, thank you! Thank you for always being there for me when I need someone to lean on for support, thank you for all the advice, thank you for putting up with all my nonsense and mood swings and finally, thank you for loving me for who I am. I really want to thank you for all your support during my grandma's passing. I really don't know what I would have done without you. Thank you for the last 2 yrs and may we have many more happy yrs in the future.

As you all can seen, this month of Oct has been a total roller-coaster ride of emotions. I want to thank all my friends and family for all their support and prayers during this time. Thank you Jas for everything and most importantly, thank you God for everything. Thank you for seeing me through this whole time.

Illegal Parking.

2006-10-03T14:06:00.000+08:00

Wassup people? Sorry I haven't blogged in a really long time. I've been busy at work and stuff. Anyway, here are some pictures for you to enojy. I was walking along Serangoon Road today and took these photos. Enjoy!

When Elephants Fly.

2006-10-03T14:04:00.000+08:00

Colours galore

2006-10-03T14:03:00.000+08:00

Building Blocks

2006-10-03T14:01:00.000+08:00

Festivities

2006-10-03T13:59:00.000+08:00

Typical of Serangoon Road

2006-10-03T13:55:00.000+08:00