Garden of Ethan - Fertilizer (a.k.a Crap) for the Soul

Queuing is a hobby of a typical Singaporean

2009-04-09T21:28:00.003+08:00

Since it's a public holiday tomorrow, I decided to eat out and maybe check out Tampines One, the new mall in Tampines.

I thought we were supposed to be in recession, but it certainly did not look or feel like we are in recession at the mall. It was overflowing with people.. There were queues forming outside the restaurants.

When I passed by Uniqlo, all the shutters were down, except for one, and people were queuing outside. Certainly an eye-rolling moment for me. It's like, come on, it's just Uniqlo! It's all over the place in Hong Kong and Tokyo. Not only that, it's actually more expensive over here. A UT tee cost S$24.90, when the same thing cost HK$100, or 1500 yen. Certainly not all that worth to get it here, when air tickets are so cheap now. You could fly to Tokyo for S$623 on SQ now.

I really cannot understand why people here just enjoy queuing for the sake of queuing. My first thought when I saw the queue was 'This feels like another Donut Factory'. Can't imagine the mad craze when H&M comes here..

Back with a vengence

2009-03-29T23:06:00.002+08:00

I'm back again...

I realized that ever since I graduated, I've lost touch with the creative side of me. Not going to give any excuses for not having written anything for almost 2 years. Let me just start the ball rolling on again with an interesting observation I made yesterday.

Strangely, the people around me never ceased to be amused by my ability to give explicit details to things or events, or just, anything in general.

I was at my colleague's (Cecilia) baby shower when someone suddenly talked about the health checks which are part of our company's benefits. Someone asked if there was a need to provide stool (a.k.a crap) samples for testing. I've been to the test before, so I told them 'yes, you got to provide your shit samples'. They were 'concerned' about how their faecal matters was going to be collected, so I told them how it was done. There were 2 designated clinics where we can go to for the body checks. The one that Fiona went to, the doctors were rougher. The doctor in charge of the screening would stick their finger into the anus to 'collect' some samples for testing.

Now, for the clinic I went to, it was slightly different. At the beginning of the health screening, I was given 2 bottles, 1 for urine samples, 1 for stool samples. The urine bottle is pretty easy, just aim and pee into the bottle. Now, for the stool sample bottle, it had a spoon stuck onto the cap, apparently to aid in scooping the stool into the bottle.

Someone asked me how I collected my stool sample, so I told them I went to a squatting toilet pan, and tried to position myself such that when my first piece excrement drop down, they would drop on the side of the pan, instead of sliding down into the water part of the pan. Ta-dah! Now you can scoop that piece of crap up! I was a bit concerned about not providing enough sample for testing, so i took a big scoop, which turned out to be a bit too wide to go through the bottle opening. I rested the sample on the opening, slowly pushing the sides into the bottle, and after a while, the whole thing was in, moist and warm. Then I continued with my business.

Now, everyone who was listening in was grossed out, yet amused by the stool collecting exercise. Well, at least they learn how they should do it when they go for their health screening next time round.

If you need some motivation

2007-04-26T22:52:00.000+08:00

I've finally gotten back all my results for this semester. My results are as follows:
Marketing Information Systems - A+
Analysis of Equity Instruments - A+
Corporate Reporting and Analysis of Financial Statements - A-
French - A-
Ethics and Social Responsibility - B+

Besides, this is my best semester ever, with an all-time high GPA of 3.86. I managed to achieve all these in spite of what happened throughout the semester. At the beginning of the semester, I was busy with housemoving. In a way, we were forced to move out of our previous rented place. So for the 1st month of the semester, besides school, I was extremely worn out by housemoving, on top of having to juggle with the ongoing school projects.

Shortly after, I was admitted into hospital because of an abscess growing on my tummy. I had to get it removed at the hospital. 3 days after I was discharged from hospital, I was re-admitted into hospital because of active bleeding of my wound from the operation. Shortly after Chinese New Year, I was down with food poisoning for 3 days. In the final weeks of the semester, I was down with flu which persisted for almost 2 weeks.

In spite of the odds being stacked against me, I keep telling myself to stay focused and to tell myself that I can do it. I keep telling myself how badly I wanted to graduate with Cum Laude. And yes, I finally did it!

I'm saying all these not to boast about my achievements, but rather, to illustrate a point: Have a goal, believe that you can achieve it, and everything else will fall in place. Stay positive and show gratitude for the little things in your life and good things will naturally be attracted into your life. I couldn't have achieved all these if I had negative along the way. Lastly, I hope my little story here will inspire whoever read this to strive to do better in future =)

The Secret

2007-04-20T00:43:00.000+08:00

I've just watched a video called "The Secret". The content is pretty mind-blowing. I've always been an advocate for positive thinking ever since I started reading up books on neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP, from the beginning of this year.

The gist of the video is about the secret of the law of attraction. When you think about the good things, they would come to you naturally. It works the same way for the bad things as well. This is something new, something which I didn't exactly come across in my readings. However, it does make a lot of sense. You get what you think, as simple as that. If you keep thinking about the immense debts that you've got, you will just get more of it, based on the law of attraction. On the other hand, if you keep thinking of achieving your goals, you will get it.

I know I'm going to get some violent objections here, like, some might say that they have made goals to achieve certain things, but did not achieve it in the end. Does it mean that making goals is ineffective? It is not! Goals are achievable only with actions. You need to put in action to achieve what you desire, but a lot of people miss out on this point! You can't get the chicken to grow up and lay eggs if you don't feed it.

Some of you might have had goals, achieved part of it but never quite fulfil all that was set out in the goals. The Secret says that in such instances, we need to be grateful for what we have. For instance, one might set out to earn a million in a year, but only got 950,000 in the end. That's really good actually. When we show gratitude and give thanks for what we have, the law of attraction works by giving more of what we desire. So that 1 million is not too far off!

It is precisely of all these positive thinking that I've stopped writing about negative things on my little blog here for a long long time. I want all the good things to come into my life and I can see them coming in already. I'm thankful for being able to finish my undergraduate education in SMU, I'm grateful for having food everyday, I'm thankful for everything that my parents have done for me, I'm grateful for all the little things I have gotten in life. I'm thankful.

Do catch this video if you get the chance. It's pretty inspiring and definitely changes lives and perceptions.

100% of the 50%, NOT..

2007-04-03T22:56:00.000+08:00

Well, Mr Brown never cease to amuse everyone with his infamous podcasts. And this time, SMUT takes the limelight! My school's in the limelight! Wheeee!!!

Well, 3 short years in this school and everything's coming to an end. And yes, I can't help but to agree with the stuff in that podcast. All the pre-networking pre-briefing event and whatever sounds all too familiar for us. I wouldn't say that I have wasted my time in this school. I mean, I've learned some important life skills here, like interpersonal communications and presentation skills, and how NOT to be a "backside poker" (read: backstabber). However, the layman on the street ain't all that dumb.. Look at the results of the infamous "survey". If you've got 100% "hit-rate" for the 1st year, that's possible, since the graduating batch is quite small. When you get the same "hit-rate" for the 2nd year, it's still barely acceptable. By the 3rd year, the number of graduates have already increased exponentially, so a 100% "hit-rate" didn't seem as credible as before. Besides, if only 100% of the 50% of graduates (who found a job) are interviewed, naturally there would have been a 100% "hit-rate". Besides, what about the remaining 50% who were not interviewed and who did not get a job? They would be perplexed by the "truth" and go around telling others the TRUTH. That they did not get a job, nor were they interviewed. Period.

I'm sure it doesn't take rocket science to realize something as fundamental as this. Yet, this "obtuse" glob in level 7 of SMUT administration building failed to see this and put everyone to shame! Sad to say, but lying to get there wouldn't get you anywhere.

For me, I don't even care if I'm in the "100% of the 50%" in the next employment survey. Even if I've been "shortlisted" by the fat glob to be in the "100% of the 50%", I'm gonna return a "funky" reply to them. Fuck off!

Uncivilized ATM Bitch

2006-10-25T23:51:00.000+08:00

My parents have been away since Monday morning and I'm all alone at home. Yesterday was supposed to be a holiday, but I ended up having to go back to school for a lesson. Initially, I thought I was going to have dinner alone. Just when I thought all hope is gone, Jialong messaged me on MSN and asked if I wanted to go for dinner. That was indeed a timely invitation.

After my lesson, we went to Parkway Parade for dinner. I had to draw some money from the ATM as I did not have enough cash with me. As we approached the ATM, this stinking bitch just overtook us and cut in front of us. At that point in time, I was raging with anger, so bad that I wanted to kick her ass, but being the civilized me, I restrained myself from doing something like that. All these while, I have not seen someone as uncivilized as this bitch. It wasn't like she had to draw the money so urgently (I mean, if even if she was having her period and needed the cash to get some sanitary napkins, by the time she got the money to buy it, if it had meant to leak, it would have leaked...).

Fortunately, dinner was not too bad. We went for La Mian and Xiao Long Bao at Koo Kee. The food's alright, but I still prefer Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao.

Seriously, I wonder why kids nowadays have such bad upbringing...

I'm not a salesman!

2006-09-07T21:24:00.000+08:00

Last night, I was buying dinner from the coffeeshop under my house. I was so disgusted by what the rice seller said that I really wanted to slap him. Here's how the conversation went (translated to english from mandarin):

Riceboy: Just come home from work?
Me: No, I had a career talk earlier on, so I had to dress up a bit.
Riceboy: Oh, I thought you are working. You dress like a salesman.
Me: ...

I was so damn angry when I got home. I wasn't even wearing the usual 'white and black' ensemble that is typical of salespeople. I was wearing a baby blue shirt with french cuff from Topman and a pair of charcoal grey pants. I really wonder if he was blind or dumb or what!

Anyway, I'm not going to patronise that stall ever again. Even if it's the last stall open! I rather starve to death!

Act 'Wanted'

2006-07-28T01:49:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I was on my home on the usual packed train. It wouldn't have been bad if it was just the usual crowdedness.

I got on the train at Cityhall. There was this woman, who looks like a Chinese national to me. Ever since she got on the train, her phone kept ringing. However, she did not pick up any of the calls. What was worse, was the fact that her ringtone was some cheesy mando-pop which was real crappy! i guess it's not unusual that we do not pick up calls from some people and let our phone go on ringing instead of rejecting the call so that the other party would think that we are too busy to pick up those calls, but at least, most people would just switch their phones to silent mode if they anticipate that the caller would actually call again. This woman did not do this. After the 5th time the phone rang, the guy standing next to me was grumbling and mumbling some words which didn't sound so nice.

Fortunately, she got off at some station near Geylang. Thinking back, I really wonder if people sometimes do stuff like this to show people that they are 'wanted' by others, or that they are 'hot'. If not, why create those noise? Don't they feel bad about disturbing other people sharing the same public space as them? Someone please enlighten me...

I hate tourists

2006-06-29T11:34:00.000+08:00

I happened to be at Sentosa yesterday, guess I really needed a break. It was horrible! I thought it wouldn't have been so crowded, since it was a weekday, but guess what? The whole place was flooded with tourists!

I mean, it's okay to have tourists, but it's not okay when they start getting onto your nerves! There were some with 'exotic' 'frangrance', some who had noisy kids who can't stop crying, some who shout when they talk! It was so unbearable that I had to cover it all up with my Ipod... However, it was a futile effort... The decibels they generate are far higher than what my Ipod can do...

And it doesn't end here... On the bus back to the main island from Sentosa, there was this bloody bitch who kept pushing me from behind. Hulloo... I'm trying my best to move into the bus also, and your pushing would not help things... Bloody stinking bitch... Oh, by the way, she was a tourist too!

Maybe I should get a car next time...

Cheap buy?

2006-05-31T20:35:00.000+08:00

The other day, I was walking home from Bedok Interchange. I passed by this fruit stall and the uncle shouted something which sounded real funny.

He was trying hard to sell his fruits and he shouted "Cheap buy!" repeatedly. It sounded like some hokkien vulgar language! He sounded like he was scolding someone when in fact, he's selling his stuff.

Certain words just do not go well with each other.

Fuck Animal Ill-treaters in our 1st world country

2006-05-30T23:07:00.000+08:00

It is pretty shocking to find so many animal haters and animal ill-treaters in a first-world country like Singapore. Since the cat-hater incident yesterday, I've heard another story about fuckers who ill-treat dogs.

According to my friend, Jois, there is this evil family who unfortunately stays in Tampines Block 888 Level "#unlucky number", supposedly a corner unit. So, what did they do?

Look at the photos.. It might be a bit disturbing, but nothing is more disturbing than the fact that this is really happening in our first-world country! This is White (Fake name). He was a handsome dog, a cute little puppy that was borned into the world like many others. Unfortunately, he needs to spend years of his life with this family. This family that lives in the place mentioned earlier never let White into the house. They tied him to a pole in the corridor.. AND not the corridor in front of their house, but faraway from where they stayed. White was only given a piece of newspaper, a few pellets of dried food and hell-knows if any water.. This is how he lived.. Rain and shine!

Imagine what the ugly family said when asked for reason: “We don't allow dirty pets into our house”... What the fuck?!

Ask yourself, does White deserve that? Does he have a choice? What else can he do?

To everyone out there, pets and other kept animals are never dirty on their own. If they are dirty, it will be their owners who are actually the dirty ones! Do not ever complain about your pets being smelly. If you are a responsible owner, you pets will be kept clean! If they stinks, it will only reflect badly on yourself, you dirty lil pig... Do not attempt to comfort yourself and cover up your own lazy and irresponsible acts by pushing all blames to the pets...

Feel free to visit the place where the hideous family lives, you can see even though how pretty their house might be furnished, but yet, they are doing something so nonsensical. If you take a visit today, you won’t find White there by the time you visit. He will be at a foster home waiting to be re-homed and hopefully have a good home in the future, taking his time to heal his wounds, both physically and emotionally.

I hate cat-haters

2006-05-29T23:57:00.000+08:00

I seriously do not know what is wrong with those people who hate cats...

This evening, after I finished work at Hougang, I walked around a bit to see if I could find the cat that I usually feed when I'm there. As I was going to pour out the feed, some fucking bitch who probably hasn't gotten any sex in ages shouted down from her 3rd storey flat to tell me that feeding the stray cats was illegal. She even went on to say that the more we feed the cats, the more they give birth. I was like rolling my eyes and shouted back to her that this cat is already sterilised (cats which are sterilised usually have a corner of their ear snipped or tattooed), so how could he possibly still give reproduce? Refusing to give up, she even went on to say that they make a lot of noise at night.

Feeling a bit frustrated by her incessant noise making, I move to a corner where she couldn't not see me and fed the cat nonetheless. The more I thought about it, the more angry I got. First, without cats, we must be prepared to see more of other pests, such as rats and cockroaches. Cats help to keep these pests at bay. Second, if she minded the noise so much, why don't she move to a private condominium? The point is, if you are not rich enough to act high class, then shut the fuck up! To add on to this point, I think kids can sometimes make more noise than cats, so I'm hoping that she doesn't have any grandchildren who cry like they lose their father, or I'm prepared to use a loudhailer to shout up to her to ask her grandchildren to shut up! Besides, cats don't usually make a lot of noise, unless they are really hungry.

That old fuck bitch went as far as to tell me to bring home the cat if I want to feed the cat. I wish I could, but seriously, cats are highly territorial in nature. They prefer to stay in one area all their life. if you forcefully try to relocate them, they would try and escape and return to their 'homeland'. This also explains why cats tend to bully 'newcomers' in the neighbourhood.

Seriously, that old stinking bitch need to use her pea brain to think about this: Without these cats in your neighbourhood, would it still be so clean? I mean, if we really depend on the cleaners employed by the town council alone, we would probably find snakes in the neighbourhood as well (attracted by the rats). These people really need to be educated. Cats are mascots of wealth and prosperity. They always remember to clean up after they pee or poop. They help to keep the neighbourhood clean. What more can you ask for? True, they might be noisy at times, but all the benefits of having cats around certainly outweigh the costs! That nonsense fuck bitch needs a wake-up call. I hope she calls AVA or SPCA to catch the cats, leaving no cats behind in the neighbourhood, then she can have a taste of the 'days without the cats - memoirs of a fuck bitch who got pestered by rats and cockroaches'...

Stupid Boys

2006-05-19T00:22:00.000+08:00

I was at Cineleisure today to catch The Da Vinci Code. I was quite surprised that the theatre was so packed in spite of the fact that it's a weekday and it's not even school holidays for the kids. Anyway, I went to my seat with great anticipation of things to come, but I was in for a rude shock.

The 2 boys sitting next to me were so noisy! They kept talking about getting some branded stuff after the show, echoing words that appear on the screen, using their cellphones while the movie is on, and the list goes on! Hello, I don't need a parrot! Definitely not 2 fat parrots!

Boys of such standard most probably come from A*S, probably not even 16 yet, but sneaked into the theatre to catch a NC16 show! These boys always think of ways to sqaunder their parents' money on the branded stuff they are going to get for their materialistic selves. Goodness... How irritating... If I were ever to have my own kid, no way am I sending him to that school...

Stupid BK Auntie

2006-05-15T23:26:00.000+08:00

I know I'm fat and I shouldn't be eating fast food, but seriously, there ain't much choice at Orchard, unless you are willing to pay a lot for a meal. So I had no choice, but to go to Burger King at Liat Tower.

I ordered a X'tralicious Chicken Burger meal and when I saw the crisscut fries on my tray, I was like 'What the Fuck'. I asked the auntie who served me why the fries were so little. In fact, I think I could fit all that fries into a small thin paper pack, so why am I paying more for less? I ordered the same thing at the BK at Raffles Place MRT before, and they packed the fries fully. Guess what the auntie replied? She made me felt like she thought I was dumb. She said 'It's like that, the fries all go into the pack'. I rolled my eyes, but decided not to pursue the matter. Eat less, gain less weight, so never mind. Let it be...

I hate it when I get bad service. In fact, this is not the first time I'm getting such nonsense from BK. Should have gone to KFC instead...

Roadblock

2006-05-12T16:56:00.000+08:00

I was in town today and I felt like I was in The Amazing Race! I encountered so many roadblocks, but this time, I don't really have a choice between two tasks, each with its pros and cons.

I just finished gym and was walking towards Ngee Ann City. I had to go over to collect a cake for my Mom, so even though it was drizzling slightly, I had no choice. And I forgot my umbrella... At the Taka entrance opposite Mandarin Hotel, there was a sudden buildup of a crowd. People were just standing there and blocking the way! There were still people coming in from behind, standing in the rain, but these people who already got into shelter have totally no regards for those who are still in the rain! Talk about civic-mindedness...

When I got into Taka already, there was yet another group of nonsense who were blocking up the escalator. Why do people like to block up the 'strategic locations'? Don't they realise that they are gathering bad karma by wasting other people's time?

It's such a frustrating situation in Singapore. I've never gotten such nonsense when I was visiting in Aussie some years back. Not in Taiwan too. In fact, the Taiwanese are very civic-minded, like, in the train station escalators, they will keep to the right (Taiwanese drive on the right, similar to the US) if they are not rushing. In Singapore, people just stand anyway they like, not considering the inconvenience they bring to other people who might be rushing and coming from behind. Many of these people are worse than dogs... At least dogs know who they should poop...

Wanna get rich? Use cheap and lousy phones!

2006-05-07T15:49:00.000+08:00

The last few weeks, I've got the chance to talk to several people who belong to the 'rich' class of people, such as housing agents and bankers who earn loads on commissions. When I look at the mobile phones they use, I'm kinda shocked. They were using pretty cheap and lousy phones, those without complex functions like cameras, or whatever.

This could be the reason why they are so rich, and I shall now tell you why:

1) These phones are cheap to begin with, so meaning they save a lot and don't spend too much on expensive phones like stupid kids nowadays, who spend their parents' money like nobody's business.

2) New generation phones are usually packed with time-wasting features, such as MSN, etc. Such features which are meant to increase productivity do the contrary. These people don't waste their time on such productivity-reducing activites and close more deals in the process, so in a way, they can earn more.

Do consider these views when it's time to chuck out that old phone of yours. Do you want to be rich? If you want to be rich, just get a cheap and lousy phone. In any ways, the conventional phone is just meant for plain voice communication. MSN on your PC if you need to.

Quote of the Day

2006-04-25T16:10:00.000+08:00

'Karma works like Adam Smith's Invisible Hand'
- Ethan The Great

The heaviest rain ever

2006-04-15T14:06:00.000+08:00

The rain yesterday was one of the heaviest rains I've ever seen. As I was preparing to go out yesterday, I looked out of the window and didn't think that the rain was going to last that long. Once I got out of my door, my pants and part of my shirt was wet already.

Walking on, I thought it wasn't going to be so bad, since there was a sheltered walkway, but when I got to the walkway, it was flooded and filled to the 'brim'. At that point in time, I so wanted to walk back and changed into the shortest shorts and a pair of flip-flops, but knowing that I was late for an appointment, I pressed on, pulling up my pants so they don't get wet. I felt like an old uncle... It was an ugly sight... The water was up to my calves...

The worst wasn't over yet. When I cross the road at the traffic light, I got more wet. By the time I finished crossing the road, I was really upset with the rain, so upset that I really wanted to get to Orchard and just go into my favourite boutique and get the shortest shorts and the skimpiest tanktop they have!

I really wonder what the town council has done to combat this situation whereby water has nowhere to flow to and up end flooding the roads near my place... And no, I don't live in Potong Pasir or Hougang...

The Bitchy (Ex-)Insurance Agent Part III

2006-04-13T17:36:00.000+08:00

Did you ever expect that there was going to be a Part III to the story of The Bitchy (Ex-)Insurance Agent? Well, bitches never cease to bark...

Today must have been a bad day. I went to gym earlier than usual and it so happens that The Bitch was there too! As usual, we would act plastic and say hi to each other. He asked if I was there for the Bodycombat class, but no, I was there for the Bodypump class. I don't know what is his fucking problem, and he started saying stuff like 'Oh, you shouldn't go for Bodypump until you lose your fats, otherwise, the more you pump, the fatter you get'. I was so tempted to roll my eyes, but being the diplomatic genius I am, I just smiled and walked off.

I hate it when people think they know something and talk so much about it when in fact they know nothing at all... Bodypump is a weight training class where we train with weights and barbells. Cardio makes you lose muscles, so even if you are trying to lose weight, you will still need to do some form of resistance training. When you do resistance training, your muscles grow, not your fats! How stupid can The Bitch get?

Moral of the story: Be clever, but never act clever.

The seat is my father...

2006-04-11T18:21:00.000+08:00

It is nothing new that the MRT is packed like 'ants in a honey pot', anytime of the day. Sometimes, that in itself is already quite irritating. To add on, there are so many people who will shuffle for seats whenever they see one, regardless of how far they are from the seat, to the extent that they can push people who are in their way. This is what I call, 'The seat is my father'-syndrome.

Not surprisingly, a lot of such people are the typical aunties and uncles below 50 years old. Seriously, I get so irritated when I see such people. It almost feels like they are running over to see their long-lost father, without giving any regards to the inconvenience they bring to other people when they do such things.

I'm not against them taking the seats, just that they could have done it in a better way, without pushing other people, or without being so overly obvious that they are desperate for the seat. It is quite ungracious socially to behave in such a manner.

I get even more displeased, knowing that the tax money I pay will go to this group of people in the future... Maybe the government could spend the money on helping these people achieve social graciousness, so that they can carry themselves better in the public. It will pay off in the long run, I supposed, since if these people are more socially graceful, it could portray a more positive image to tourists and foreigners who uses the MRT as well, instead of giving them the impression that Singaporeans are lacking in so many areas (impressions management).

Oh, another idea to help curb the 'The seat is my father'-syndrome might be to increase train frequencies, so people don't have to rush for seats.

Road Hogging Bastards

2006-04-07T20:21:00.000+08:00

Today was quite a bad day. I had to drive down to NTU from Bedok to fetch my brother. Having to drive so far is bad enough already, but the roads were even worse!

A lot of Singaporeans, besides the lack of basic courtesy and etiquette, don't know the basic rules of driving on the road! Wonder how they got their driving licences... I was abysmally disgusted by the things that happen on PIE today...

Scenario 1:
A fucking bitch was driving on Lane Number 2 at 60kmh... Oh my fucking ***... Don't they understand what is meant by 'Motorcycles and Slower traffic keep left'?

Scenario 2:
A fucking bastard with a P-plate was driving on Lane Number 2 at 60kmh... Oh my fucking ***... Don't they understand what is meant by 'Motorcycles and Slower traffic keep left'?

How did they get their licences in the first place? And I always knew that overtaking on the left is an offence, but hey, with such roadhogs stuck in Lane Number 2, I can't possibly overtake on Lane Number 1, since I'm driving a van with a speed limit of 70kmh. That leaves me with only Lane Number 3 to overtake... Who is wrong? Definitely not me... The traffic police definitely needs to refine their rules and regulations...

The Story of a Dog

2006-03-14T20:44:00.000+08:00

Today, I had the most interesting lesson ever for the Communications in China module that I've been doing for this whole semester. I was particularly touched by a story that the professor told us during the class, so touched I thought I was going to cry (but of course i can't do that in public!).

Here's how the story goes:

Once upon a time, there was an Alaskan hunter. He got married and soon, he had a son. However, his wife died soon after giving birth to his son. Undeterred by what happened, he raised his son as a father and a mother. Fortunately, he had a clever hunting dog which knew how to feed the baby using a milk bottle. So, in the day, he would go out hunting while the dog would take care of his baby.

One day, he was out hunting as usual, and suddenly, he was hit by a snowstorm which lasted throughout the night. As a result, he couldn't go home until the storm settled down. As soon as the storm died down, he rushed home as quickly as he could for fear of the safety of his son. When he got home, the gate to his house was left opened. At this moment, the hunter was feeling pretty nervous. As he opened the door to his house, he was greeted by his faithful hunting dog, happily wagging his tail, like he was really happy to see his owner. However, the dog's body was covered in blood. The hunter couldn't see his baby as well.

At this instant, the hunter flashed his hunting knife and stabbed the dog at his weakest point. The dog whimpered painfully as he fell to the ground. At this moment, a baby's cry came from under the table. The hunter went over and saw that his baby was safe and sound. Next to his baby, there was a dead wolf, with blood all over and some hair in its mouth, which was apparently the dog's hair.

The hunter, at this instant, realised that he had made a grave mistake, but it was too late. Heartbroken and guilt-striken, he buried his hunting dog, wallowing in his guilt and remorse.

This story touched me. How about you?

Stupid Insurance Agent

2006-03-14T20:34:00.000+08:00

I was walking around at Bugis just now and I was chatting about something serious with my good friend, Jialong. We happened to walk past the Bugis Cineplex Boxoffice and there was a Prudential Roadshow going on.

Suddenly, this girl came up and started waving her 'cup of lots' in front of me and pestered me to join in her 'lucky draw'. I declined her offer politely by waving my hands in front of her, signalling that I'm not interested. Unfalthered by my hand signal, she continued to pester me. I was really appalled and I walked on, and I said 'Bitch. Doesn't she get the point that I'm not interested?' to Jialong.

I know they are doing their job, but sometimes, they should not pester people, especially when it was clear that some people do not wish to be pestered and have signalled their intentions of not wanting to be pestered. How fucking irritating that is!

Fucking BUS-tard

2006-03-06T01:03:00.000+08:00

What is so fucking wrong with people nowadays?

I was on bus number 31 back from Marine Parade and I was holding so much stuff with me: My rollerblades, my sling bag, and a Strawberry Royale cake from Savoury Fare. I guess it was alright that I couldn't get a seat, but the worse thing was, there was this couple who went pushing and shoving around just to get a seat.

It's still quite alright, really, but they got worse! When I was going to alight at Bedok Interchange, the bus haven't even pulled over and the same couple went shuffling past me again! I was already signalling my intent to alight by facing the exit direction and by moving forward a little, but in spite of that, they still did what they did!

Would a kind soul get me a car so I don't need to go through such shit?

For the convenience of all passengers, please move towards the centre of the car

2006-03-04T22:21:00.000+08:00

What is fucking wrong, my dearest fellow MRT commuters?

Today, I was on the South-bound train towards Cityhall from Somerset. The train was packed, or should I say, 'psuedo'-packed? It isn't packed in the literal sense, but the crowd seemed to love to stick really close to the exits. Why? I mean, is there a better 'aura' near the exits or what? What's more, they were hogging the space at the side where the train door opens.

When the train reached Cityhall, the idiots behind me started pushing me even before the train door was opened! What the fuck? When the East-bound train came in, the same thing happen and people still don't want to move towards the centre of the car. I tried to squeeze my way through and there was so much fucking space there! When the train reaches Bugis, the 4 guys in front of me alighted, and of course I found a seat and sat down. It's like, if the rest of the people had moved in towards the centre, they might have gotten a seat!

Isn't that a reason for all fellow commuter to move towards the centre of the car?

Balkers who obstruct others during balking should die!

2006-03-02T22:39:00.000+08:00

I hate balkers who obstruct others during their balking process. In case you didn't know, balking means switching to another queue from the original queue. An example would be when someone queueing to get out of an MRT station switches to exit from another gate, and balk in the process.

These people need more queue discipline. I'm not against balking, just that people should balk without obstructing other people. I hate it when I have to slow down or stop when someone from the next queue suddenly go in front of me. Shouldn't they at least look behind to see if there's any 'oncoming traffic' before balking? Bloody numbskulls!

Doctor's Fees?

2006-02-28T21:20:00.000+08:00

Call it bad luck or what, but someone defaulted on his payment for my work... Someone 'commissioned' me to design a blog site. After the work was completed, he decided that it wasn't what he want, and suggested giving me a partial payment for my work. I was cool with it, in spite of the fact that he kept changing his requirements.

He suggested transferring the money to me but he did not. Well, I'm cool with it. At least I learnt a lot from this episode. All the nonsense about PHP and CSS coding, the legal issues of running your own business, bla bla bla. As for him, he is just attracting bad karma for himself. Maybe he needs the money for his doctor's fee? (Did I hear someone mentioned funeral coffin fees?)

Why the FUCK was she there in the first place?

2006-02-28T21:12:00.000+08:00

Today, I went for step class at the gym. Apparently, there's this new instructor today. And she's really lousy, so lousy I almost wanted to walk out of the class. Thank god someone took over her half way.

I don't know what the hell she was doing, but she made the class more like an aerobics class rather than a step class! And she has got a weird accent. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, the gym management shouldn't have put her there because she wasn't ready at all! She is just not ready to face a group as yet.

I was contemplating if I should write in to the management, but I decided against it, since it's not her fault that things turn out this way and she might lose her job if I wrote in. I'm not such an evil bitch after all. Ahh! I remember, I'm a bitch with a heart (as quoted from Norman).

People with no life: Phone-hangers

2006-02-23T21:54:00.000+08:00

Have you ever receive calls when you are real busy, and when you pick up those calls, the other party either mumble some gibberish and hang up, or simply hang up after hearing an unfamiliar voice (your voice)?

Seriously, this people should get a life. Or maybe not so much about getting a life, but rather, they need to learn to be more gracious socially. I think the least they should do is to apologize if they have called a wrong number. Isn't that common sense? Apparently, it just doesn't seem like it's common sense to many people who are simply lacking in social grace.

Whatever...

Utterly Touched

2006-02-22T00:07:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I went rollerblading with Jerry. It was real windy yesterday at Bedok Jetty, so windy I fell backwards when I was in my skates! My slipper fell into the sea because of my fall, as it slides under the railing and went into the sea. Jerry jumped into the sea to get it back for me! I was so damn touched! The sea was so deep but he did it nonetheless.

Anyway, after he got up, one side of my socks flew into the sea. Apparently, he didn't bring his own socks and borrowed mine, and when he had to go into the sea, he just left the sock on the bench, and the sock just flew in. Bleah! What a shame...

Walking Whores

2006-02-13T21:02:00.000+08:00

Have you ever run into such a situation, where you got out an MRT train, and someone from behind suddenly walk past you and 'cut' in perpendicularly across in front of you and walk off, causing you to stop for a second or so just so that he or she can commit such an inconsiderate act?

What the hell is wrong with these people? I seriously think this is pretty irritating. When will they ever learn? When someone else do something similar to them? I doubt it. At least in the local context, where most people have a childish mentality, I think what they would do would be to 'cut' back...

What is the use of national education when people still lack in such fundamental areas?

Repression of the King Bitch

2006-02-13T20:56:00.000+08:00

I'm feeling very down. Maybe it's because Chinese New Year is over? Maybe it's because I haven't unleash my fury against the nonsense I deal with everyday?

Never mind... I'm back for more. ROAR!

The 'Excuse Me' Machine

2006-01-22T21:00:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I was at the disgustingly busy Chinatown. I mean, it isn't usually that busy, but it's the Chinese New Year season, so yeah, it was PACKED...

As I was entering the night market from one end, there was this stupid guy who kept saying 'excuse me'. It's like, I would have let him get past me if I could, but the whole place was so packed. I don't understand what is his fucking problem man...

I was so so pissed after that, that I told myself I'm going to abuse the next person that step on my tail. Thank god there wasn't a 'next person', otherwise everyone in Chinatown would have gotten a chance to see a free show from me, 'The Greatest Actor'. Muahahahaha!

The Phucked Security Gates in SMU

2006-01-22T20:49:00.000+08:00

The other day, something really unfortunate happened to me. On the day when SMU officially open its City Campus. As I was walking out of a security gate, the gate close on me and slammed my face. It was so painful that it's still painful now, even though it's already been two days.

Feeling pretty upset about the whole thing, I wrote in to the school's Office of Facilities Management. Below is a copy of what I wrote in to them:

Hello,
I'm a present student in SMU and today, something unfortunate happen. As I was walking out of a security gate at SESS building, the gate shut on me. The gate was opened, so i walked through it. However, instead of remaining open, the gate slammed right on my face, bruising my right face. If i had lowered my head a bit more and walked through the gate, my head would have been severed from my body by the huge force of the closing gate. I'm not sure if the gate is under service, but there should be more safety provisions, as it could pose a potential safety threat to fellow SMU members. It might be in the interest of the whole SMU community to look into the design of the present security gate design on the part of the school to
see if the design can be improved to prevent the gates from becoming potential safety hazards. Security gates are used in many places, and many places have also shown that such gates can be secure and yet, not pose itself as a safety hazard. Kindly look into this matter. Thank you!

If you don't believe me, go and try the gate!

The Slower you walk, the Fatter you get

2006-01-16T01:16:00.000+08:00

Doesn't it just irritate you when the idiots in front of you walked like snails? More so if the walkway is so narrow that you can't overtake them? And when you are in a rush, isn't that like 'the last straw that breaks the camel's back'?

I was at the usually busy Orchard Road today, and this nonsense happen to me! Ahhhhh! I was walking from Wisma Atria to Takashimaya and it was packed. And the asses in front are moving so slowly, like as if they are too fat!

Don't they realise that the slower they walk, the fatter they get?

Excuse me! I don't print money!

2006-01-10T00:47:00.000+08:00

I don't know what is wrong with people nowadays. Ever since SMU relocated to Bras Basah area since July 2005, I've encountered many beggars in the area, the kind that knows how to speak English.

As a matter of fact, I had my 3rd encounter with the same guy at the area between SMU School of Business and Raffles City, next to SMRT headquarters. The first time I met him, I heard him saying 'excuse me', so I just stopped to listen to his story. That was the very first time I saw him. He said he's very thirsty and didn't had any money with him, so I offered him 2 dollars. In fact, I was really scared when he talked to me. His teeth was all bloody, which I believed could be a side effect from alcoholism. I was so damn scared he would just bite me if I had refused to give him the money. That was the first time.

The second time I saw him, it was the same 'excuse me' again. When I turned around and realised it was him, I quickly walked away. The reason is simple. I don't print money and I can't afford to give him money all the time.

I saw him for the third time today. And it's the same 'excuse me' again. Being the bitchy me that I am, I'm very scared that there would be a day when I heard the same 'excuse me', I might just not be able to resist the temptation to say 'Excuse me! I don't print money!'

Zap your fats away and more!

2006-01-08T12:40:00.000+08:00

It seems like a lot of people are crazy over fat-jiggling belts nowadays. First, it was OTO Trimax, then Osim Uzap came along. I bought for myself Trimax, not seeing any results yet, but hey, I found an alternative use for it!

I realise I could use it as a back massager as well! And it's quite good after exercising, just strap it on and jiggle all the fatigue away!

And, I was at Suntec the other day, saw the dumbest thing. Osim came up with iGallop, supposed to be like some horse-riding gadget. The ad was lewd, with models who look like harlots (or maybe their actions look harlot-ey). The whole idea was just darn funny! Why would anyone need something like that if all of us can just go get a rocking horse?

The Bitchy (Ex-)Insurance Agent Part II

2005-12-24T14:07:00.000+08:00

If you thought the episode of the bitchy insurance agent was over, it's not. I received a Christmas card from him and I was pretty upset by it.

I read the whole card and my salutation was 'Ms' instead of 'Mr'. It's like WHAT THE FUCK? If you want to make this kind of mistake, you might as well not send the card at all? You waste your time, you waste your money, and you make me upset at the same time!

Moral of the story: Don't send any greetings if you are not sincere about it!

The Dripping Wet Clothes Bitch

2005-12-24T13:54:00.000+08:00

This morning, I was on my way to grab something for breakfast. As I walked out of my ground floor exit, I got drops of water falling on my head, and it wasn't even raining! I looked up and saw that the bitch living on the 8th floor had wet clothes outside. All the wet bras and panties and other wet clothings. God! And this is not the first time already!

These people are so bloody inconsiderate. Hopefully, they get leaking roofs one day, then maybe they will understand how it feels to have 'dark waters' dripping on them. Bloody Bitch!

The Road-Hogging Bitches

2005-12-24T13:40:00.000+08:00

I went back to Tampines yesterday to grab some stuff from my old home and I was disgusted by the roads there. Drivers just stop their cars by the roadside turning into Tampines Mall (as if the traffic there wasn't bad enough already). It was so bad it just felt like I would never ever want to step into Tampines ever after again.

Inside Tampines Mall, it was even worse. It's already packed as it is. The worse thing is, people are walking like so damn bloody slowly, as if they were damn heavy and can't walk faster...

The Bus No.10 Bitch

2005-12-21T23:09:00.000+08:00

I was on my way home from Sentosa today and I decided to take Bus No.10 with my dearest Jois, even though I'm no longer staying in Tampines. On the way back, I saw a rather idiotic donkey which I have decided to call The Bus No.10 Bitch.

He boarded the bus somewhere along Anson Road. He sat in front of me and conveniently placed his shopping bags (a big one and a small one) on the empty seat next to him. As the bus travelled along the CBD, the bus filled up quite quickly. Soon, the bus was packed, but he still left his bags at the seat next to him, instead of giving up the seat for others to sit. Somewhere near Suntec, a guy asked him very nicely if he could remove his bags so that he might be able to sit down. Instead of apologizing and putting the bags on his laps (which he could have done easily), he got really defensive and said that he had no space, and his tone was almost like he was going to pick up a fight. The other guy had no choice but to back off, and he was even gracious enough to apologise. It's quite weird that someone like that donkey could do something like this, since he was quite well-dressed (apparently someone who works in an office or something) and he was even reading a book on leadership. Subsequently, he alighted at Siglap.

I think he probably left his manners at home, or maybe his cranium is leaking and there's not much brain matter left in his head. He's just fucked up...

The Bitchy (Ex-)Insurance Agent

2005-12-20T21:00:00.000+08:00

As usual, I went to the gym today, for my usual Tuesdays and Thursdays morning gym sessions. Today, I was really 'lucky' to bump into my ex-insurance agent. God! He's a muthafreaking god damn fucking foul-mouthed bitch. When I was still an insurance agent with AIA, he has been so damn bitchy towards me. Anyway, that isn't important. I thought it would have been better since I've left the company, but apparently, I am so damn wrong about this.

Today, when I bumped into him, I just said hi and he had to be damn mean. He started asking if I was still with the company. When I said no, he was like being so sarcastic by saying that he thought we could go for the Convention in Australia next year. Then, he went on to say that in his 9 years in AIA, he had seen at least 50 people from his agency 'throw the towel'. I said the job was affecting my studies and he had to say stuff like 'if you can make more from this job, just quit school, ..., but not everyone can succeed'. Yes, I might not have been successful in insurance, but try me elsewhere. Fucking bitch!

If that wasn't enough, he had to say that I still look as fat as before. Hullo, I've lost like 8kg since I joined the gym. I don't even have to prove to you that I've lost that much weight. I enjoy wearing loose clothings that make me look fat. Does that make your backside painful?

What goes around comes around. Do unto what you want others to do unto you. I don't even have to curse such a bitch myself. I'm sure there are others who have suffered the same fate as I did. Let these people do the job. But, I can't help but to add on: Hope your stomach is not flabby in 2 years' time and hope your fucking cock is still functional in 2 years' time, bitchy faggart!

The Sardine Bitch

2005-12-20T00:10:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, I feel so ashamed of my fellow Singaporeans. I'm extremely disgusted by their disgusting behaviour: Queue Cutting.

The other day, I was at a coffeeshop stall that sells snacks. I intended to get 2 sardine curry puffs and was waiting to be served. Suddenly, there was this bitch who seem to disregard my presence and went straight in front of me. The worst thing is, the auntie at the stall actually served her first. Bad things never come singly. The bitch asked for a sardine puff, a curry puff and a chicken puff. When she was gone and when it was finally my turn, the stall auntie told me she only had 1 sardine puff left! She asked if I want a chicken puff instead. Of course I said no... It's partly her fault that she didn't get my business 'cos I didn't want anything else other than sardine, whereas the sardine bitch might have gotten something else if there was no sardine puffs.

I just paid for the 1 sardine puff and walked off feeling god damn motherfucking pissed off. As I walked, I ate the puff and I was disgusted by its taste. Thank god I didn't get 2, but that's not the point. The point is, I was being cut in the queue and I was being served later in spite of being in the queue first. But then again, it's alright. I don't think I would want to go back to that stall again. There's so many food stalls in Bedok Central. I'm spoilt for choices!

Life without the Internet

2005-12-14T15:34:00.000+08:00

I've officially shifted over to my new place at Bedok. It's so much better than my old place at Tampines. This new place is just a 3 minutes walk from the interchange, close to shops and wateva.

But there's one problem: I still do not have internet access! And I probably won't get it till the rest of my family shift over to this new place. It totally sucks... I can't check my email, I can't do my research, and I can't blog!

Fortunately for now, I still got a little place called Macdonald's where I can check my email, do my research and blog =)

Time to go bake some brownies!

Let me out of this dusty hell!

2005-12-08T00:12:00.000+08:00

I wanna move out of my place quickly. The packing is killing me. Dust is flying everywhere. And's it's driving me crazy!

Gym Bitches should die

2005-11-23T01:06:00.000+08:00

As usual, going to gym is like fighting a war. Today, I saw the gym bitch that pissed me off last Sunday. She is so disgusting I wish I can puke on her head, and she was wearing all white today. God! She thinks she's some angel? Fuck off man!

What happen last Sunday: I was in BodyCombat class. The bitch was standing in front of me. There was quite a bit of shuffling back and forth, and I don't know why she had to move faster than everyone else. She just kept moving back, and back... I got a bit upset that during one of the shuffles, I knew I had to 'warn' her that she's taking up too much space, so I shuffled a bit lesser than usual and punch her head. Subsequently, she didn't move that much anymore. Good bitch, good bitch. However, I'm still very disgusted by her actions. She thinks she owns the whole studio and in spite of being in front, she had to keep moving back when people at the back of the class are squeezing.

Such gym bitches should just go eat shit and die!

What's the relationship between libido and stress level?

2005-11-18T00:50:00.000+08:00

Is there a relationship between libido and stress level? I sure think there is. It is undoubtedly an inverse relationship. I know it because I'm feeling it and I don't have any mood to do anything.

On the other hand, my cat has been really horny these few days! Maybe everyone should be a cat =)

2nd set of artwork for AFA project

2005-11-14T10:29:00.000+08:00

[Many thanks to DeviantArt artists for the stock photos used in creating these ads]

Artwork for AFA project

2005-11-11T18:45:00.000+08:00

[Ad for homosexuals]
[Ad for heterosexuals]

No Sweat?

2005-11-11T18:33:00.000+08:00

The other day, I was at the gym for BodyCombat class. It was supposed to be fun, all the kicking and punching. At the end of the 1st or the 2nd song, can't remember exactly, this bitch in front of me turned over and said 'Can you please wipe your sweat? It's flying all over the place.' And she had to do that so loudly. Thank god I was still in an okay mood, otherwise I would have shouted at her.

Look, she wasn't even sweating after the warmup track. She wasn't even kicking or punching with any effort. In a nutshell, she was wasting her own time and she was disturbing me in the process. It's like, if you ain't sweating after the 1st or 2nd track, you might as well just go home and rest instead of taking up precious space in the exercise studio.

Such bitches should just fuck off...

2005-10-31T09:27:00.000+08:00

新加坡现在在下雨，北京现在在下雪吗？

The Cluster Fuck Theory

2005-10-12T23:26:00.000+08:00

The cluster fuck theory is an extremely simple theory. It simply means that objects will tend to group themselves together, or come into close proximity of one another, even if they do not have a distinct relationship.

We can easily see this theory at work in our daily lives. In the morning, when you take the MRT, when the train comes, people will somehow choose to enter the train from a more crowded entrance even though another entrance may be less crowded. At the convenience store, people may choose to walk past you through the small space in front of you when there is a lot more space if he chooses to walk behind you.

Many people love the cluster fuck theory that they must put it to practice everyday. It has reached the point, like how Confucian teachings had penetrated in most people during that era.

What to do??

Quote of the Day

2005-10-11T23:46:00.000+08:00

[Impossible is Nothing Campaign by Adidas]

Quote of the day: There is no 'Can' or 'Cannot'; there is only 'Want' or 'Don't Want'.

This quote from Ethan the Great simply means that there is nothing that we cannot do; it's only a matter of whether we want to do something and make things happen. Impossible is Nothing!

The Queen of Bitches

2005-10-10T23:28:00.000+08:00

[See that old bitch wearing the funky pink pants?]

Some people just enjoy the idea of being a "Public Bitch". A fine example of what a "Public Bitch" is would be what you see in the picture. Let me start by defining the term "Public Bitch". A "Public Bitch" is defined as a person who enjoys making a nuisance of himself or herself by making uncalled for comments or senseless chanting which attack or flame innocent people around them.

Well, what happen today greatly made me feel so irritated that I want to move out of Tampines, closer to the city area, so that I don't have to take the MRT too often and see this kind of people often. The bitch got on the train with her family. Her son ask her to sit down on the empty seats, and her daughter said that the bitch (her mother) only sit on corner seats. Apparently, there were empty seats but no empty corner seats, and I happen to be sitting on a corner seat. The son and his wife sat on the empty seats next to me. Then the disgusting bitch suddenly say in Hokkien that 'young people are sitting down and old people are standing', and kept chanting that her legs are tired from walking. It was obviously directed at me because I was like one of the few 'young people' there. What I really cannot understand is why can't she just take a freaking empty seat when there were so many around? Seriously, it doesn't make sense for me to shift to another seat, since I have got so many stuff with me and moving around would be inconvenient.

Such "Public Bitches" should be publicly disgraced, for causing inconvenience and embarrassment for others. This particularly bitch should go get a life!

One more day

2005-10-09T21:13:00.000+08:00

[Sinead O'Conner - One the most distinctive and controversial pop music stars of the 1990s]

One More Day

( Veronica Guerin Soundtrack )

My love more dear than this life you are to me

Your kiss more clear than the crystal of the sea

Please save me i'm fallen here

I'm lost and alone

An angel weeps

I hear him cry

A lonely prayer

A voice so high

Dry all your tears

Come what may

And in the end the sun will rise

On one more day

Hey

(gaelic part)

Dry all your tears

Come what may

And in the end the sun will rise

On one more day

Hey

The sun will rise on one more day

Found out about this nice song through BodyBalance class. Nice song to listen to when you are feeling sad and down. Dry all your tears, come what may. In the end, the sun will rise on one more day. No matter what happens, dry your tears, for in the end, the sun will definitely shine one day. Very encouraging song for those who feel weak.

Wanna feel like Sailormoon?

2005-10-08T22:11:00.000+08:00

I happened to be in one of those Step Moves classes a few days back, and it was fun! Spinning, bouncing, jumping prancing around a step board was something damn foreign to me. I mean, my only memory of it before I even joined the gym was what I saw on TV many many years ago, when they still airred aerobics shows in the mornings on Channel 5.

Try it if you can, and you can feel like Sailormoon for a day! It's fun, but sometimes, I really wonder what the hell am I doing?! But hey, if you do master the steps, you could really act as Sailormoon for a day and go for Cosplay or what. Don't forget your sailor uniform and your 'magic wand'! =p

Quote of the Day

2005-09-30T00:29:00.000+08:00

Quote of the Day for 30 September 2005:
If you ain't living on the edge, you are taking up too much space...

[From www.miamivalleytrails.org]

Latest Work for SMUBE

2005-09-28T21:52:00.000+08:00

My latest work for SMUBE Campus Radio Weekly Updates Email

Reforms for Taxis - Burn 'em or limit the number on the roads!

2005-09-20T22:03:00.000+08:00

[Crash and burn!]
I hate to bitch (although it looks like it's my hobby to bitch =p), but i have to do it this time. The fucking taxis on the roads are really pissing me off big time...

Have you ever cross a road, and when u are going to pass in front of a taxi that is stopping at the side kerb, the driver attempts to speed off? Have you driven on the road, and when you are trying to switch lanes, a taxi comes accelerating past you, preventing you from switching lanes? Or, have you ever had to brake suddenly because a taxi suddenly stop right in front of your car to pick up a passenger?

Some people might say that it might be the passengers' fault. Maybe that is true for the last example, but what about the rest of the examples?

Maybe it's karma. The drivers do too many of such bad things and end up having lesser customers as retribution. It's all karma.

Whatever...

Mid-Autumn Festival - A time for the family to get together?

2005-09-19T01:16:00.000+08:00

[Purple Moon - from Galactic Images]
Mid-Autumn Festival - Came and gone by. Traditionally, it had meant to be a day when families will get together to view the moon, sip tea and eat mooncakes. However, it seems that lesser and lesser people are doing such things nowadays. It's quite sad to know this. Maybe people still do it, but in Singapore, it just seemed like everyone is too caught up to even bother.

Is this an implication of the loss of traditional values about family? Or simply an evolution of values about family over time? Some people choose to go out with friends. Some people choose to watch TV. There are so many other things to do. Who really bothers?

How long have you not talked to your father or mother? When was the last time you hugged them? When was the last time you even bothered to address them 'pa' and 'ma'?

Shouldn't we let every single day be Mid-Autumn Festival? Treat everyday as if it is the last. Treat everyone around you better. Doesn't that make you happier?

The Importance of Reading Widely

2005-09-17T19:52:00.000+08:00

[Operation Black Vote UK Local Elections Ad Campaign]
Knowledge is power. This phrase is overused. We hear it all the time. However, if we sit back and ponder about it, how often are we guilty of not wanting to gain knowledge because we are lazy? For instance, I always wanted to catch up on my academic readings, but I'm always feeling lazy and I always think that I can get by because someone else would probably have done the readings and probably be kind enough to share the gist of the readings with me. Sounds familiar?

Recently, I realised that as a successful businessman, one needs to be a Jack of all trades. More often than not, business is about 'faking it', but to be able to 'fake it' successfully, you still need to get your basic facts right! For example, your client loves cars. Maybe you don't really like cars, but hey, a deal is in the making. What I might have done would be to do a bit of reading up on cars, perhaps on Porsche Boxster. If this client were to start talking about his love for cars, how many cars he's got, at least I can still carry on a conversation. True, I might not know much about cars, but at least I know one car, and that's actually more than sufficient to keep the conversation going. If i'm out of stuff to talk about the car, I can move on to other topics that are related, like, public transport. It could spark a discussion on whether fare increases are justified. The possibilities are endless.

That means, one should probably read widely. There are so many things we can read on. Maybe everyone has got their own interests, but it is still inportant to read outside of your interests. You will probably realise the importance of that when you are put in a totally unfamiliar environment, with no friendly faces you can turn to. How are you going to start a conversation? Let's say you are at a wedding dinner, and you do not know the rest of the people sitting at the same table with you. It is basic social grace to at least strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you. Maybe you could start off by asking how is his/her day, but that's probably not going to be enough. Who doesn't like a varied and diverse conversation? So where's that content going to come from? They could be your personal experiences, but I presume the bulk of it would most probably come from the stuff you read. My friend called me this afternoon to say that she's at a wedding dinner dish-tasting session and the members from the bride's and bridegroom's side are not talking and the whole situation was tense. My answer to her was to start the ball rolling by commenting on the weather, or maybe comment of the bride-to-be's dressing or makeup, or maybe share on where is the best or cheapest places to get a pedicure or manicure done. Naturally, one thing will lead to another and everything will just fall in place. Her immediate reply to me was 'As if I know...' What can I say...

The moral of the story is: Knowledge is power. If she bothered to find out more, either through reading or direct interaction, I'm sure it would provide lots of juices for conversational ideas. Therefore, start reading today!

Begging by choice?

2005-09-15T00:21:00.000+08:00

[The Little Beggar by Bouguereau, Adolphe-William(1825-1905)]
Some weeks ago, I was on my way to the gym from school and I was rushing for time. All of a sudden, a young woman came up to me. Here's the conversation that transpired between us:

Women: 我现在jobless. 我要买porridge给我的妈妈跟弟弟...
Me: Ah-uh...
Women: 我现在jobless. 我要买porridge给我的妈妈跟弟弟...
Me: Yah...
Women: 我现在jobless. 我要买porridge给我的妈妈跟弟弟...
Me: 你去买啦。。。
Women: 可是我现在jobless...

Well, apparently, she wanted money from me, but I'm not stupid. Point number 1, she should not have waited till she had no money before she start to look for a job. Obviously, she look very healthy, so it should not be that difficult for her to get a job if she had really wanted to. Point number 2, her funky mom was in shades. Wow, funky eh? Point number 3, if she had chose to beg, she should have been more direct, instead of wasting my time and her time by beating around the bush.

In the end, she didn't get a single cent from me. I told her I don't have any cash with me then as I was in school the whole day and didn't have the chance to draw money (This is the whole god damn truth...). Guess what she did? She rolled her eyes and turned away. How rude can people get nowadays? I hope she stays there for ten years and not get a single cent. Bloody bitch...

Out there, there are many people who still have the ability to work. However, due to an assortment of reasons, they refuse to seek employment and choose to beg on the streets. Actually, I think it's perfectly alright to beg, but choosing this path doesn't mean that you can forget about your manners! Like the bloody bitch in the above example, I think she deserved it if she were to starve on the streets. I would have given her the money if she had been more credible, even if I have to walk ten miles to the nearest ATM. Such parasites of society should probably just go face a wall and reflect upon themselves...

Maybe I should have told her that she could have gotten free food from the Buddhist Lodge, but then again, she probably don't deserve the food, that ill-bred bitch...

Vulgarities or art?

2005-09-13T16:51:00.000+08:00

[Fuck off, dude!]
Recently, it seems like many bloggers have turned to swearing to attract attention. Although I'm not exactly a newbie to blogging (I did have a nonsensical blog ages ago!), it was interesting to know how much I didn't know about the blogger's world.

I visited several 'famous' (or infamous, does it really matter?) blogs and I was appalled by the language used in a certain local female blogger's blog. The language used was coarse and there was poor sentence logic. There were uncalled for use of vulgarities and the whole package was distasteful. I'm not trying to say that I don't swear or what, but undeniably, some people carry off that kind of behaviour better than others. I mean, people who know me would remember me as being vulgar, and well, at least if I were to swear, people would not see it as 'weird'. However, if someone were to portray a cutie-pie image but subsequently, he or she start swearing on his/her blog, doesn't that seem weird?

Besides, it seems that people will tend to associate bloggers to certain communities or organisations. The point here is, each and everyone of us represents not just ourselves, but also, our communities and affiliations. What we say should reflect thought rather than making insensitive or insensible remarks which might otherwise tarnished the image or reputation of the 'bigger picture' that we might be in.

Back to the point on vulgarities. Vulgarities can be an art, if used tastefully (like how I use them sparingly to emphasize a point). But then again, the point about vulgarities is that who really defines the definition of vulgarities? I mean, words like 'vagina' or 'penis' are often used as 'vulgarities' in dialect languages, but by themselves, aren't they just names of human reproductive organs?

Something for everyone to ponder about...

The Fat Bitch on the Bus

2005-09-12T14:57:00.000+08:00

[The Jonquil - Species of small daffodil, with yellow flowers. It is native to Spain and Portugal, and is cultivated in other countries. (Narcissus jonquilla, family Amaryllidaceae.) Flower for 12 September, symbolises: Longings]
This morning was terrible. The bus stop at my place was packed with people. Didn't the fares just increased not too long ago? How come there's still so many people? Not enough buses? Shouldn't fare increases bring about better service, such as increased frequency? The transport operators should face the wall and reflect on this...

Anyway, if that didn't seem like a shitty start to my day, what happen next was worse... As usual, when the bus came, the shuffling and jostling began. There was this fat bitch who got up the bus in front of me. Apparently, either he's dumb, or he's dumb... There were still passengers trying to get on the bus and the least he could do was to move in, but he was a roadblock himself already and he refused to move in despite the fact that there was people wanting to get on the fucking bus! I was so irritated by him that I just tried to squeeze through the small space that he left behind his big fat ass so that more people could get on the bus. If that wasn't bad enough, read on.

When the bus reach Tampines Interchange, as usual, people are rushing to get off the bus. He was nearer to the front exit and yet, in spite of his big fat ass, he decided to use the rear exit instead. And apparently, I was going to alight from the front exit since it was nearer, but for him to get to the rear exit, it would have meant that he had to squeezed his big fat ass past me again! Is he mother-fucking retarded or what? Not that I want to bitch or what, but this is so nonsense...

Such people should lock themselves at home, since they think the whole world revolves around them and their actions, without considering how they might potentially affect others through their seemingly insignificant actions. But wait, maybe their brains are as big as green peas to begin with...

Please let passengers alight first!!

2005-09-11T18:05:00.000+08:00

I can't emphasize this further: Many Singaporeans don't have the slightest idea what basic social grace or courtesy is all about! Just today alone, I've encountered 3 instances where I really feel like stopping someone and say 'Hey, don't you fucking know what basic courtesy is!', and all that happen in half a day!

The first incident happen when I went to gym today. There was no one at the reception when I arrived, so I waited patiently for the counter staff. This guy who came after me went right to the front of the 'queue' (there was really no queue, just that everyone seemed to form up in an orderly manner in front of the horizontal counter, until this bugger 'jumped queue'). Seeing that that idiot was in front of me, the counter staff naturally served him first when she got back into the counter. This conversation between me and my friend followed:

E: Wow! People nowadays have no social grace or courtesy.
J: Hmm, they just don't care anyway. Even if you say too much, you are just wasting your efforts.

Whatever...

Now for the 2nd incident. Nothing too serious, but I guess that could be improved. I was on my way to the train station from Suntec City. All of a sudden, this couple froze in their track right in front of me, then started pointing at a shop, and started commenting. Yea, I know that's a nice ring, but hey, thank God I'm not an elephant or what, or else you would have been flattened, dumb asses... Many times, we see this happening: People just stop right in their track, without considering how other behind would be inconvenienced by such a small action. Some people just don't fucking give a damn...

Last incident. I was so happy when the train I was on finally reached Tampines. There were quite a bit of people alighting from the train exit I was alighting from. There was this group of 2 buggers standing outside that exit. Obviously, they wanted to board the train, but, they didn't even fucking let the rest of the passengers alight first! Did they leave their manners at home or did some dogs chew it off already? My God... Can't stand such behaviour...

When will Singaporeans reach 'that' level of cultivation... Ever? Never?

If you can't control 'em, keep 'em at home!

2005-09-10T23:56:00.000+08:00

(My condolences to useless parents...)
It seems that a lot of parents don't really know how to take control of their kids nowadays. All the screaming and shouting on MRT and buses is taking it's toll on me. Spare the rod and spoil the child. Look, I'm not suggesting that they should whip or beat up their kids, but, there has got to be some form on command and control.

If a kid is wailing non-stop, give him the required attention. Pacify thy king (or devil, or wateva, you chose to give birth to him anyway)! If all else fails, you have a few options:

Get off the train and pacify him and stop being a nuisance to others
Silence your kid...

Singaporeans in general lack the required social graces. Not just in this instance. We see it all the time! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, if you can't control your kids, please put them at home. Thank you!