2006 de-Resolutions!
To get in the range of 50kg and beyond!
To run no more than 3 rounds around Mac in ECP!
To get scolded by colleagues who said you are incompetent!
To get trashed by bosses who think you are making progress at the step of an ant!
To get teased with illusive terms like "pussy"!
To read the first chapter of a book and chuck it aside to the dust-vaders!
To indulge in fatty meats and stuff my blood vessels with nice terms like lipids!
To get on a bicycle and fall down no less than 3-4 times within an hour of riding!
To plonk right into bed after a long day out and leaving the showers off!
To remember to brush my teeth as far as I remember to!
To don a tee & slacks and meet my biz partners!
To keep friends at the door of my little lovely wonderland and watch them sulk!
To crush the bones of the terrorist and wreck the world on my own!
Thirteen formidable statements to mark the last entry of 2005! A ritualistic demonstration of a determined ME in underlining a seemingly significant date in one of another set of 365 days that is just about to turn history...
aper ini?
*teng teng teng...* -- Suede's Beautiful Ones blasting away from my handphone. Who the heck will call me at this hour! 1.30am!
I dutifully picked up the call. "Hello?!" "Hello??!!"
Still no answer. The person hung up!@
3 minutes later... *ding dong* Opened up my hp inbox:
"
Cayang.....udah bobok ya? klu blm temeni ak donk ok"
What is that?! Definitely a message from overseas: +6285668228669
ODD.
Tottering Thoughts
Alpha seemed happy. Beta seemed happy. Two images caught up with their own infatuations. A pinned up memory board, a radio with preset channels, a birthday cake with candles always lit. Everything appeared to be pre-programmed. Amazingly, both don't seem to mind that they are product trial versions for the same software company.
**********
Bumpy roads, stoney trails, sandy paths, smooth pavements... the walks were always long and winding, leading to places deep and dark, silent and queer, loud and cheery. Literally figurative. Distorted accurately.
**********
等待是结束的开始。放弃是开始的结束。
潇洒是庄严的放弃。哭泣是无奈的等待。
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Went for my first meeting with AC ever since my arrival in SD a week ago. Modena Room, Shenton Way Tower 1. Quite happy that the meeting ended within an hour, at 5.30pm. Woo! Thought I can go back early for a jog or something. Unfortunately, AC took the opportunity to 'walk' around the floor, in the course of understanding & discussing other issues, introduced me to a few of his closed working parties. Except for one or two guys, most were pretty young girls in their twenties or early thirties, of which I remembered only two out of the half dozen names thrown at me. :-/
6.20pm. Alas! AC 'dismissed' me while continuing to walk towards a lady whom he had promised to send home since they stayed in the same vicinity. Still early, but too late for a jog. To my delight, a friend messaged to ask a few of us out to celebrate his coming back from US. This meant some free time before he comes back with an affirmative reply. Decided to pop in the nearby MPH. "Perhaps I should get a book..." Life really stands still by 7pm in CBD. The lights went out promptly before the clock hits seven.
7.10pm. Haiz, dinner outing cancelled. One of the girls can't make it. I walked to the bus-stop in front of Caltex. Alamak! Gone. Fine, I thought I should walk all the way to Suntec then, but was pretty glad that the bus stop was merely shifted to merge with the one in front of The Fullerton. Nice lights put up by the 6-star hotel.
It was a quiet stroll, except for the blasting of sentimental tunes in my earphones. Probably the time of the month again...
Melting away. . .
"142,560 minutes, 142,560 moments so dear. 142,560 minutes – how do you measure, measure a point? In herseys, in snowflakes, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In pouches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.... "
-------
Caught King Kong. Infamous lines repeated 3 - 4 times:
KK: *Rooooooaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr*
Anne: *AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH*
Transferring... Part I
After 14 sleep-plentiful days piled with rich food and fun plus 4 more days of sicky days accompanied by a hot head and bloated stomach, I returned on the 19th, to a less than exciting monday office! Great start to arrive at 8.45am! Not that I was early for my 8.30am - 6.15pm job, but I usually only stepped in after 9am and stretched longer in the evening to cover the 8.75 hours of compulory work.
Spent the bulk of the morning clearing 130 emails (using a colleague's PC), with more than half ending up in the trash bin without even being clicked on. 11.30am already, and my soon-to-be ex-boss hadn't arrived in the office yet and my soon-to-be new boss is on block leave and wldn't be back till 2006! Exasperated! Without a workstation and assignments to do, this seemingly happy world was on the brink of collapse once my colleague comes in at 12pm to claim back her PC. Yes, I was supposed to be transferred out of AI to SD. The former kicked me out more eagerly than what I expected!
I mustered enough courage to go over to my new colleagues and found out from my Big Boss that I was to shift to a patch of empty workstations located at the other end of the office. For a moment I was still happy, at least I wasn't going to be homeless. After a peaceful lunch, Z helped me to shift my PC. But shucks! Error dialog box popped up: ".. domain could not be found..." The LAN point didn't work. Relocation of the normad again. [A temp one, luckily.]
A look at the watch. Sigh, not even three o'clock. Spent the rest of the afternoon trying to do a change request and reading a thick book of system manual.
Sleepy-ness rating: *** (out of 5)-----------------------Dinner was a sumptous event at Sinma Live Seafood in one of geylang's lorongs. Thick white sweet-smelling porridge ... tender 'ma mi' chicken marinated with honey and spices panfried to a slight crisp ... flavorful egg beancurd braised with little fried shrimps and minced meat ... ever more tender-than-chicken frog legs cooked in dark soya sauce - buy 2 get 1 free, buy 3 get 2 free! ... little coconut packed with sweet juice and white smooth flesh to refreshen the body with its cooling properties... To top it up, a bowl of rocher soya beancurd was sent to party with the above foods. Terribly full.
這是一宜人的天!
It's going to be a pleasant day!
Ce va être un jour plaisant!
Es wird ein angenehmer Tag sein!
这是一宜人的天!
유괘한 일 이기 위하여 가고 있다!
Πρόκειται να είναι μια ευχάριστη ημέρα!
Está indo ser um dia agradável!
¡Va a ser un día agradable!
Het gaat een prettige dag zijn!
Оно идет быть приятным днем!
Sta andando essere un giorno piacevole!
Brought to you by WorldLingo, partner of Microsoft Word Professional
Twelve languages celebrating the same cause! The defeat of Voldemort has provided reasons for a party! It is simply a hilarious scene when four bottles of Po Chai Pills 保济丸 are smashed against the evil Lord!
The battle is long. The victory is sweet.
The sequel: Retching Ravenclaw
Evil Voldemort stayed on longer than I expected. Today was worse. Apart from fever, the stomach felt wretched. I have never felt so terrible before. The entire day was spent lying around, pacing up and down, sitting here and there... I couldn't even have the energy to switch on my laptop till late afternoon when I thought I felt slightly better.
7pm. I supposed I should have dinner. Pretty amazed that I was still able to drag myself to the market. I stood for 15mins at the stall, after ordering a bowl of takeaway century egg & porkball porridge. To my dismay, the uncle thought I ordered claypot chicken! What a joke, he insisted that I was pointing to the claypot chicken on the signboard that was above him! I am quite certain that he didn't even peer at what I was pointing. And I did say "porridge"! I was too tired to argue with him, and I reckon that I need food, and paid $4.00 for that packet. It was then he softened his voice and remarked that I will definitely come back for more of his claypot chicken rice. "This is better than porridge lah.. porridge too watery..."
He was wrong. Not only did I not finish that packet of saltish rice (too much dark soya sauce added), but I vomited perhaps one-third to a quarter of what I ate. I wonder if the outcome (not output) will be different if I ate porridge.
After a bath, I actually felt better. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
:-(
Feeling: Retched. Wretched.-----------------------
I wonder if GT thought I was making an excuse to skip the class outing. I hope not.
Voldemort struck again!
You are a RAVENCLAW!
As a Ravenclaw and as an NFP, you value
imagination, ideas and intelligence. You are
probably somewhat of an individualist and avoid
conforming just for its own sake. You are
insightful and perceptive, and since you are
empathetic and value harmony, you usually try
to avoid conflict. Of course, you may enjoy
participating in heated debates, but only as
long as they remain on an intellectual level
and not a personal level. In general, you are
open-minded and curious, and set high standards
for yourself.
Hogwarts Sorting Hat: Based on Myers-Briggs Personality Typingbrought to you by Quizilla
Voldemort strucked again. He started dumping onto the Ravenclaw with lotsa heaty stuffs and late nights. Ravenclaw finally couldn't take the blow and came down with a fever and a bloated stomach. The evil Voldemort had casted a spell to make believe that she had a bloated stomach. After one packet of lemon-flavored Eno, her condition did not get better. Luckily wise Dumbledore administered two powerful panadols to the injured Ravenclaw, calming down the fiery dragon which had fun consuming the latter's soul.
Unfortunately a second packet of Eno sent Ravenclaw's stomach bloating again. Must be the effervescence from the slightly greenish liquid. Still bubbling away... She needs a loud burp to get rid of them. But she got a loud surprise visit instead! Gryffindor flew by to drop a box of special brew concocted by the House of Black. Very heartwarming.
Voldemort shall meet his end tomorrow; the all-mighty Ravenclaw shall stand tall again.
Perhaps.. Perhaps... Perhaps
Perhaps...9-ball pool on a 8ft table. I think that was what I played. Witin an hour plus, I learnt how to arrange the balls into the triangular fit and the position it should hold on the table. The white, the black, the stripes and the solids, we were friends after the first 15mins of 'training'. Pretty easy what, I thought. The first game was fun, my trainer let me off pretty easily, he aimed, I shot, and the balls went in! The second game was slightly not so fun, and more informative. I learnt the existence of different techniques and strategies to jam up the opponent's moves. The third was the worst. My right arm was losing strength. But Trainer refused to let me off without seeing that solid-colored ball run into the hole. "More to the left.. no no.. slightly more left.. ahh.. shift abit to the right" I wondered how long I was posing with that cue stand before he allowed me to shoot. And damn it! The ball didn't go in. It was three misses before the fourth released me of my agony and pain.
$7.20 for the game. Still quite worth it. Thanks Kel, you are a supportive and entertaining trainer!
Perhaps I should practise more of the game to realise the potential I hold in this sport! hehehe, afterall, this is a not-too-difficult game. No running, no sweating, no panting. Just pure aching in the arms.
Perhaps...Still doesn't understand why it is titled Perhaps, Love - 如果。爱. Why is there a comma in the english title and a full stop in the chinese version? The english version is probably more logical. The comma highlights a paused moment as the mind searches fuzzily for a reason: perhaps due to what? Love lor. But the full stop? The chinese mind temporarily shuts off all thoughts and came to realise it's 'love' after all? Funny.
The show wasn't that funny though. Aniki Jin still can't sing very well, eventhough I do like his deep strong voice. I thought 老孙 is more of a slutty character in the movie. She saw bedding 老东 as an expression of her love for him (maybe that's why the "Perhaps" came in). And twice it happened. Overall, the film ain't as fantastic as I thought it will be. Many characters seemed to be redundant if not for the little bits of humor and provoking thoughts they injected into the film. Minimal dialogue, silent-mannered narration, not-very-nice soundtrack, this is a farty film made arty.
Perhaps...We heard the wind blow, and saw the leaves move with vigor. BUT, I didn't expect a downpour! Not when I am half way down to my destination. Scene XXX of Michael Bay's next thriller: RUUUUUUUNNNN! After two traffic lights, I appeared to be panting away. Perhaps this rain is a wake-up call. I gotta try harder at the tracks. 21 minutes for 2.5km is definitely not acceptable! With all the food I am gulping down, I ought to quicken my pace! Orh Luah, Murtabak, Rojak, Prata, SI..AM (out of my way)!
-----------------------
Spontaneity is fun. I should try to practise and accept it more often!
It felt as if i was in Santa Fe...
It was no longer so near yet so far. I finally sank my teeth into a carl's jr burger! Not those minced dry chicken patties used by Mac or BK. Real succulent chicken pieces with just as tasty sides!
+ waffle fries
+ ice tea (many pieces of fresh lemon with no sugar added)
=
WOAH...
FATTENING!
56 grams of fat, if you can't see the small small words (Blogspot tries to minimize facts, eek). Carl's Jr tries to hide the truth too. The calories of the beverages were unavailable!
Hai.. gotta hit the tracks more often liao...
6 things done on the 6th day of the week
Pease... World Pease. "When a man goes to a toilet, he usually goes for one reason and one reason only. Women use toilets as social lounges and therapy rooms. Women who go to a toilet as strangers can come out best friends. But everyone would be instantly suspicious of the man who called out: 'Hey Frank, I'm going to the toilent. You wanna come with me?'" -- Allan + Barbara P.
It's funny.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Zoo'ed Out!~
I was late. But the station was empty! What a shock; I thought I saw their names in the logbook when I signed in earlier on. Realized the zoo had pretty poor reception, before my message was sent out, fellow docent Nat walked out of the biodome. Ha! Due to birdflu, we were not allowed to handle live specimens till further notice. The usual tree nymph catapillars, stick insects and mealworms were left in the keepers' corner. Good for me lah, means no more need to arrive earlier to set up the station or collect those specimens from the zookeepers. All we need to do is to bring visitors around the biodome, and point here, there, everywhere (animals can be seen lurking around). Time passed pretty fast today.
"hi!" "welcome to the zoo. first time here?" I am beginning to enjoy this.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Noonin'
A subway sandwich + 1/2 double choc chip cookie + 1/2 macademia nut cookie + coke light >>> STC Level 3 >>> STC Level 2 >>> starbucks light frappa rhumba >>> ... ...
'Belly' full.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In Transit
Dinner at T2 coffeebean before we head to Expo. Small bites, quick bites, so I chose a caesar salad & orange juice. My friend had &&%%^*. Total = $22.10. And we found out that we are short of $2.90 to qualify for a $25 prepaid CoffeeBean Card*. Half a slice of chicken sausage quiche added to my plate.
* Min. spending to qualify for the card = $25.
You get a card with stored value of $25 which is usable at any CoffeeBean outlet.
On top of this, you get additional $5 voucher which is redeemable upon purchase of any retail products, i.e. non-bevarage or food items.
AND IT DOESN'T END HERE!
With every $1 spent, 5 Bean points will be awarded to you. So, the $25 prepaid card comes with 125 Beans. This means you need only to chalk up another 125 points to start redeeming coffeebean products!
What are you waiting for?!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hollywood on Ice
Small-sized, but muscular men. Small-sized, but muscular-looking women. Great bods - toned thighs, flat abs, callipygian butts - basked in multi-colored lights and white mist. Cool acts - swift mid-air jumps & turns (one turn, two turns, two-and-a-half turns, three turns), synchronised moves, smooth brakes, graceful poses, slick dancings - performed to an almost perfect (2 falling-downs spotted) cue in tempo with the varied range of music (70s, 80s, 90s, 00s) played.
It probably will be more enjoyable if I weren't feeling so sleepy during the second half of the show.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Tomorrow. That will be the day I rid half the burden. Hopefully she doesn't play me out again.
As we go on, we remember...
I jogged down ecp. The
song ran in tempo with my footsteps.
Luckily, it's not a fast track... *phew*
I scamper; I tiptoe; I hide... Why?
The 7-year old went to school everyday feeling happy. She was amongst the tops in her class, had a bunch of fantastic friends whom she loved to hang out with. Father was proud of her intelligent daughter. Mother praised her for being sensible. Life was a breeze.
The 8-year old went to school feeling happy. She was still amongst the tops in her class, but the bunch of fantastic friends seemed to have disappeared. If she hadn't been so timid yet bull-headed at the same time, things might turn out differently.
The 9-year old was posted to a new class. But the old life continued. She remained isolated. Recess was no more of queueing up at foodstalls and bringing the bowl of soup noodles to the nearest bench. She was no longer tops in her class. Father still supported her.
The 12-year old learnt to pick things off a shelf. She suspected her parents knew about it. She kept quiet and cooked up lies to hide her new "hobby". PSLE results were out. She did not go to Dunman High as visioned by Father. He was angry and could be heard saying: "You really let me down..."
It was a new environment, but it did not change the 13-year old's state of isolation. The 14-year old was luckier. She finally found 3 others whom she could comfortably call friends. She was once again tops in her class. The 15-year old found herself in another new class where isolationism was a topic that she had to revisit. At the end of her 16th year, she was so glad that she found a friendship that lasted beyond her expectations (probably since it sailed through seas infested with water dragons that spewed fires).
Sigh. Yet another new environment. New places to go to, new people to meet, new people to avoid. She merely wanted to maintain a low profile. This was not her choice of school anyway. The 17th year went by, leaving behind not much achievements. In fact, she was forced to choose between biology and physics before a fiery disciplinary mistress by a name which she had forgotten. Or was it Queenie Wong? A tug of war she had won, only to cede the territory later. And Father & Mother did not learn of this.
The 18th year was probably one that was more normal. Extrapolations and trends went the wrong way down. This was no longer a data point in the graph of despondence. She did things which people had already been doing for quite some time -- meals in the canteen with a benchful of classmates/known parties, sitting in the cinema knowing the ones on your left and right, reading the same line of an old textbook with 3-4 others in the midst of french fries and Big Mac...
-------------------
I scamper. I tiptoe. I hide. Maybe
that was why.
Caught... unaware!
She got me. Perhaps due to the gemini's penchant for pepper. A sizzling feel-good sensation I thought it would be when I sloshed it down. Unexpectedly, it pricked my throat than just to warm my stomach. *coughs*
Caught in the act ...I was caught. Apparently in the act too. Too much pepper in the face. Makes me sneeze.
How was the pepper ground so finely?
Me... in a coco-nutshell
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.aspTo outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.
Nothing revolves around my world more than the complicated symbols of maths and science. Their unexplicity unveils a surge of curiosity that hits me back as hard as I smash it out on them. As a result, I guess I scored averagely in both despite them being one of the more specialized systems I have. Logical? [One area of expertise revealed.]INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake.
"Does it work... for me?" That's more likely :-p My pragmatism profile to that of my perfectionism could be 6:4, benchmarked against the emotional self that is so independent of external influences, [thus no known methodology of how I derive 6:4]. Unfortunately, the perfectionist in me is capable of pissing people off, to such humongous degree that the pragmatic 60% cannot undo, as opportunities for explanation are lost to time and space. Now that you have read this, please applaud for my perfectionism, yet save a little patience for my pragmatism to untwirl the irrationality. Basically, HEAR ME OUT!INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard for authority may come into play, as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on the project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.
I seized the opportunity. I gained a surprise. I celebrated the surprise... with myself :-)BUT I aim to create a party for all one else! Hang on... I am perfecting the scripts for my opening speech.In the broadest terms, what INTJs "do" tends to be what they "know". Typical INTJ career choices are in the sciences and engineering, but they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia). INTJs can rise to management positions when they are willing to invest time in marketing their abilities as well as enhancing them, and (whether for the sake of ambition or the desire for privacy) many also find it useful to learn to simulate some degree of surface conformism in order to mask their inherent unconventionality.
I currently work in the financial industry, working to master the science of managing obnoxious people and engineering the steps to modify and manipulate them! My boss thinks I am a middle management staff who does not require the meagre $5 meal allowance granted to people like me who stayed back for 2 hours to clean up shit! I said yes, nod my head in silence, and went back to my cubicle, continuing to engineer data files which are powerful enough to propel me to the next level of conformity.Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.
This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness.
Awwww... my Achilles' heel just got stepped on. Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.
Insensitivity probably took over the project of developing my intuitive self. Not yet a full grown-up, this part of me has a tendency to neglect the finer details in generating a pinkish emotional health. Choose not to give up on me, instead, encourage me. The results will be satisfying! So echoed the perfectionist, as she stood there dancing with the pragmatic on a stage of logic, with rationality blasting from behind the screens.I am an Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging person. Accept me for who I am. Forgive me for not wanting to be otherwise.
more "zhun" than 4D
Oh my! As I crossed the road with two of my secondary school friends in tow, I saw SSH (funny it may sound, but those are her initials
) and her friend.
SSH: "I thought you said you are going to Siglap?"[Yes, that was my initial plan. And so was it hers. That smiling face of hers plus that somewhat mocking tone tinged with unbelievableness revealed her excitement in bumping into me at the road junction of serangoon garden way. I, too was dumbfounded. It's a big SMALL land.]
SSH: "Then why are you doing here?"[The fingers poked at me. I probabaly should have just stuck to Siglap. Blame it on that uneventful afternoon meal I had there. Chomp Chomp, was different. It withheld memories of happy times -- university days' evenings spent chowing down on sugarcane juice and carrot cakes; birthday celebrations held in the midst of smoke smelling of hokkien mee; gatherings of sambal stingray, wistful souls and popiah. And it had plentiful of food!]
SSH: "We are so fated to meet!"[She was glad that she took a route not intended by her friend, otherwise the outcome could be different (both for her and myself).]
SSH: "Gimme a call once you finish eating hor!"[Must be depreciation and annuities again! For the past 2 weeks, I have been meeting her at least once a week to aid her in her revision for her exam. It is my 3rd time this week!]
SSH: "Come lah. My future is in your hands. Can you bear to see me die?... ..."[I recalled her putting a wheeze of air in my palm and smugly claimed that to be her future. 9.30pm I strolled down to coffee bean. For three hours, theories flew and formulas ran across the roads; I hope at least a bunchful will end up in her brain.]
SSH: "Hey..."[Ah.. Lights out. 12.30am. Shop closed. Three more chapters she needed to go through. As I waited for my transport, the two girls sat there discussing their Plan B. Left with less than 9 hours to the exam, she was still bothered about her unwashed hair, her eyebrows, and the shower she was supposed to take. Hehe.]
The 'fateful' night ended with my silver horse arriving. As usual, after a few wrong turns here and there, I reached home 10mins later than I should have. Still, a pleasurable night.
-----------------------------------
0847. That was the top prize for wednesday's 4D.
4708. That was the number I've always wanted to stake my dollar on.
Shucks!
a few misses and two hits!
"Chey" was all I got as I narrated my painful fall (from a stupid bike) to one unsympathetic audience. 2 patches of pinkish flesh surrounded by greenish blue-black marks covered my knee cap. How unsightly!
It took me only one hour to fall down twice. The first happened before a small group of NS men (embarassing yes, especially so when they didn't come forward to help me up. *&%$) when I was managing a sharp turn at a bend. My right palm had a gentle brush against the concrete ground. If this is rated '1' on a disaster scale, then the second one must be a '10'!
The second fall occurred as I released one hand in an attempt to brush back my hair that was blown across my face by the strong wind. One sec. I lost my balance. The next sec, I was on the lying on the floor, with a pose akin that of a push-up (the 'down' position). I could feel myself sliding forward. Die already lor, my $80 nike track pants gone. The synthetic material lost its waxy feel the moment the fibres were broken by the friction that arose. Small as a 10-cent coin it may be, but a big hole it burnt of my heart... :'( I am thankful that my phone remained scathe-less. Hee, but I can't say that much for the bike. As I picked myself up and got ready for more hell-riding, I discovered that the pedals were pretty much loosened. The chain got detached from the chainwheel! No more riding, no more falling. Blessed in a way.
Throughout the less-than-60 minutes of rampant biking, I nearly got my wheels on a few small kids as I struggled with controlling the brakes. The chain always seemed loose unless I cycled on grass patches. Maybe they should have some kind of grassfield for amateur cyclists. Zigzag-ing was a frequent style I use. Couple that with speed, I nearly rammed into my friend who's in front of me.
Lessons learnt:
1. Cycling should only be done during days of non-school hols. Those people are really hazards. Took up half my lane.
2. A hat should always be worn to battle the strong wind which had a tendency to mess up your hair, to the extent of covering 60% of your face, and thus your line of sight. If not, don't be lazy. Get off the bike, tidy up the hair, then move on.
3. Forget about sharp bends and turns when you are just starting out. Better to get off the bike and walk the turn than to fall down embarrassingly.
4. Master the skills of braking properly. A life savior it can be in times of emergency. I didn't, and that explains all my falls. Hmm.. perhaps it was also the brakes. Those damn brakes are situated so far from the handle! How to maneuver them properly with small hands?!
Jot it down, or turn out like this!
A smelly encounter
A stenching smell flew past my itchy nose as I strolled down the road. Impossible I thought since I was walking along a stretch of foodstalls (this was a pasar malam situated opposite AMK mrt station).
10 steps forward, my doubts cleared. Fermented beancurd! I stopped for a while, took two glances, pondered a bit, and decided to move on. Afterall, I didn't want to end up with more than a half-empty stomach when I am meeting a friend for lunch at expo. Fried stuff somemore leh!
Another 10 steps forward, I paused again. It's smelly tofu leh! A delicacy that I have always been wanting to taste it again after I last ate it in Shanghai almost 7 years ago! OK. 10 steps backward.
I stood there, right in front of the fryer, waiting for my tofu. All 4 pieces of them, cut into cubes, resting in the hot oil, bursting with flavor. The lady scooped the tofu out and dropped them into one of those transparent plastic bowls. A spoonful of fermented soya bean sauce 豆瓣酱, and a handful of pickled vegetables. There, $2.
Strange that it didn't have that horrible smell when I am only 5cm away from the stall. But immediately when I walked on, a family comprising a fat boy and his fat dad, mum and grandma walked past. And discourteous they were! As they commented loudly on the pungency, they held back their breath when they brushed past me, stealing a look at those smelly cubes in my hand.
Perhaps it was imagination, but the smelliness seemed to be in opposite proportion with the temperature of the tofu. Kinda also evidenced by the number of stares for the short 10-15mins I was eating them.
Alas, the stinking "spongebob" met its minty opponent... Clorets!
