Gunning for trouble

It's probably a knee-jerk reaction after watching Bowling for Columbine yesterday but I have second thoughts about going to the US. The film is fascinating and thought-provoking like other Michael Moore documentaries. For 2 hours, I was riveted with shock, horror and yes, amusement at the omnipresent gun culture in the US.

It seems like the freedom to carry arms (in the 2nd Amendment or something) has gone terribly wrong. I buy guns to protect myself and my family from other people who carry guns and shoot my family so I shoot them back and they shoot me again. So when does the cycle end?

I found it quite hilarious when a gun magnate justifies his promotion of guns by quoting the 2nd Amendment repeatedly. Americans are really big on rights. Can you imagine us mentioning our Constitutional freedoms in front of a Mediacorp camera?

Michael Moore then interviewed the Canadians who have easy access to guns too but have a much lower gun mortality rate. Why? If MM's theory is right, the inclination to carry guns stems from fear. Americans are scared because their news channels selectively report all the terrible things that are happening in their country. Conversely, Canada is not under a political regime that "brainwashes" its people with fear hence Canadians do not lock their doors at night (is that still true now? I remember Cui telling me the shootouts they have in Toronto).

When the documentary ended, I just felt incredibly sad after watching a 6 year-old gun down his friend (6 years old too).

"Snow"

The white Christmas I was dreaming of this year manifested in the form of remnant ice from a defrosted freezer.

Tis' the season to reflect and relax

While CNY is redolent of brightness and newness, Christmas radiates a different kind of mood, perhaps more shimmery than bright. If CNY is red, Christmas is blue and silver. I think I like both equally much!

The YAS Christmas party was old-school fun with balloon fights and games like Snap. The only thing missing was the presence of Gill, TR and Carynl (whom I suspect may be enjoying themselves tremendously in Cambodia and Whistler!)

What is a party without balloons?

With hot babe karaoke queen Julia Carolina

YS narrowly escaping Rouen's (wet) kiss

I can't imagine him in court!

Exhausted but satisfied

The alternative campus superstar

It was a splendid performance by all the tertiary students and again, I wish I started learning a (any!) musical instrument when I'm younger, with less inhibitions and a less saturated brain.

Yixian (together with her sis) won the admirable 3rd prize in the song writing segment! Having listed her numerous musical talents, why am I still surprised that she can churn out music and lyrics (which I discovered, is no mean feat, after watching Hugh Grant's agony in Music and Lyrics)?? I'm sure the judges (people from the music industry) were touched by the simplicity and naturalness of their performance (and all her fans! Her family was very supportive as usual). Afterall most contestants seemed pretty experienced and had their fancy bands and costumes. Here's their winning performance (recorded by my non too steady hands):





Virtuoso 07 is a yearly affair organised by SMU and it's nice to see students from other unis and polys taking part too. The standard is impressively high and the performers were comparable or even better than all those reality singing contests shown on TV these days. There was a nice mix of soft rock, ballads and Chinese pop and even beatboxing.

Surprise surprise! I won something too. The 3rd and last prize for the lucky draw. I knew 19 is MY number. But as it turned out, I made a mortifying blunder on stage when I shoved my ticket into the presenter's (some semi-famous Taiwanese singer or somebody) hand (to prove that I'm the legitimate winner) instead of shaking it. And of course I had to stumble on the steps when returning to my seat. Argh Argh Argh.

When we were young

Promised my tuition kid to take her out after my exam so off to the ice-skating rink we went! Despite being surrounded by teenagers and kids half my age, ice skating is quite an exhilarating activity especially when you imagine yourself skating on a lake instead of a Jurong East arena.

It was only when we took neo-prints that I felt OLD. I was completely flummoxed by the new breed of neo-print machines which came complete with overhead lightings, seats and different cameras for half body and full body poses. Unlike the $2 neo-prints I took in sec school, these came at a hefty price of $8! The fun part was decorating the neo-prints with the touch pen provided. Evidence again of Japan's unparalled technological advances.

Accompanied the kids to the arcade next. I have to admit that I haven't outgrown arcade games and relish a round of DDR or rhythmic beats at the percussion sets. This brings back fond memories of my Taiwan trip when Yivon and I shot hoops nearly everyday and played at the arcade till our hearts content!

Nicc's 22nd

Was feeling weirdly giggly on the night we celebrated Nicc's bday (giggled at everything from Yixian's gigantic umbrella to ZQ's appetite bleah). The heavy downpour did not dampen our spirits - in fact it made the night seem more wintery and christmasy. Yixian did a fantastic job manoeuvering a jammed PIE in low visibility and we reached Chip Bee Gardens at Jalan Merah Saga in good time.

We hilariously settled into the wrong Da Paolo - da paolo La Terrazza (uncomfortably posh for a gathering) while poor Nicc and Jia Wen were waiting in da paolo Pizza Bar a few doors down.


After a yummy Italian dinner, Joseph suggested Dempsey Hill for dessert. Dempsey Hill is sadly accessible by car only but as I said, transport is never a problem when I'm with my law friends. Imagine 4 cars (fetching 6 people) moving in tandem and doing 3-point turns simultaneously. I was extremely tickled at the sight!

Barracks at Dempsey House is a military themed restaurant in a colonial house which used to be a military quarter. In fact, the whole Dempsey Hill area feels saturated with our colonial history.


Dessert was really really good - strawberry shortcake, apple cider cake, chendol panacotta, raspberry swirl cheesecake and the fudgiest brownie ever, you know those kind that glues your teeth together. And they came in what else but shiny mess tins. The guys were very amused at the whole set up. Here's my fav pic of ZQ, the poster boy for Barracks!

Art Attack

One of the to-dos on my list this hols is to explore Singapore. Admittedly, it's cos I'm not traveling overseas so I've decided to support the local tourism industry instead. Took a short cut through the Esplanade underpass the other day and lo and behold, they had this interesting art installation again. This time, it was created by kids! I'm amazed and pleased that kids here can be so creative.

So the Ms Ongs of the world have not killed all creativity yet. And hearing what JH said, it appears that art teachers here are generally not very forgiving. But looking back, I'm thankful for the rigorous art programme TK put us through. At least we had art classes.

And I can't help remembering the time we stayed at the Esplanade till midnight snapping gazillion pics with gazillion of poses in front of some colourful installation. Public installations is probably one way where arty folks can "reach out" to us plebeians.

Post-exam burnout

Horribly tired and sleep deprived. I get more rest during the exam period (wake up late + afternoon nap) than now with all the meet ups, tuition, present shopping and to dos on my list.

Got my lazy ass off the sofa and joined a bunch of friends at ECP. For once, the weather was sunny (though I'm not complaining about how the house feels naturally aircon-ed these days ). And even though nearly every patch on the ground was covered by people, it wasn't enough to spoil the beauty of ECP. Or maybe I was in a generous mood and more tolerant of crowds.


I must be the only noob wearing knee guards but considering the possibility of reopening my wound, it was better to be kiasu.


Oh and I finally caught Enchanted! It's one of the nicest Disney movies ever since the demise of 2D animation. A classic happily-ever-after fairy tale with a twist - the real and fairy world collide (remember Who Killed Roger Rabbit?). Apparently, the movie pays homage to traditional Disney cartoons and songs. I really miss watching old-school Disney cartoons and this is probably the closest I can get to watching one. Enchanted makes me want to cry at both the sad and happy parts and leave the cinema with a sighhhhhhhh.

Simple pleasures.

Tell me I'm not the only one who gravitates towards food during this exam period (and promptly lost my appetite today after the paper). Comfort food (read: high carb) ranks high on my list.

Cranberry-apple muffins fresh from the oven. Yum! Added some choc buttons as embellishments much to my mom's chagrin.


Childhood snack - Bee Bee is now 15 cents.


An attempt to be healthy - my fav South African apples. Sweet with a mild sourish tang.


Got these psychedelic M&M's from NYC's M&M's world.

With the explosion of colours that greeted me when I entered the shop, it's probably the cheeriest place in NYC (rivaling Toys R' Us. but then, M&M's definitely look cuter and happier than many toys).


I felt happy just LOOKING at the eye-popping columns of rainbow-hued M&Ms. That's colour therapy for you. Of course it helps that I was surrounded by tons of nature's anti-depressants.

Marooned

I really detest going on holiday in big groups or rather, I hate waiting for everybody to coordinate their timetables. So this dec, I'm stuck in home-sweet-home because every friggin flight out of S'pore is booked at this time. And I had such nice plans to chill in Adelaide and meet Mag in Melbourne. Dammit.

After trudging through a few agencies and surfing websites, I'm (irrationally) pissed with the tour agents, the crowds, the airlines, the countries' restrictive aviation policies (hello, please open up more routes!) and my family whose indecisiveness is partly to be blamed for this hopeless last minute search.

Xmas starts early in S'pore

This is the time of the year when the onslaught of Christmas catalogues and advertisements begins. Each time I receive one, I'll thumb through the glossy pages fervidly. Any thing's a distraction from monotonous patent cases.

My inner Martha Steward is awakened by the dazzling Christmas decor and goodies for sale. My inner clothes whore is unleashed when I see clothes and accessories shimmering enticingly on the pages. I NEED to $PEND!!

Just sneaked out impromptu today and did a whole load of $$ damage. Spotlight was having a members' sale so I stocked up on scrapbooking and craft stuff. Buoyant effect of retail therapy has not worn off!

Whether the weather is haywire

Staring at my laptop 24/7 with nothing in front to distract me except the sky; I think they can employ my services at the Meteorological Centre.

The weather these days is weird/unpredictable. Here are some observations:

• Extreme-anything seems to be the fad now, even the weather has subscribed to it

• At times, the sun is unusually strong in the skin-singeing way

• At other times, the sky is an impenetrable gray and my blanket is pulled to my chin

• No more mellow sunshiny days

• No more fluffy white clouds in azure skies

• Usually there's rain. But again, it's not the expected monsoon showers but summer thunderstorms complete with lightning and thunder

• And these weather phenomenons can succeed one another in the short span of a day, in any permutations, as if orchestrated by higher powers

The capricious weather is killing my nose and producing too many mosquitoes.

Stardust

Since I can't have a star, I'll settle for stardust. I am fortunate that Bing shared her love for Neil Gaiman's works and gave me the books - really one of the best presents anyone can get. While Neverwhere is very good, it's Stardust which irrevocably made me a Gaiman fan.

I haven't grown out of fairy tales and Stardust is an excellent old-fashioned fairy tale for adults (marked "for mature readers"). It's rare for modern authors to write in lyrical and old-fashioned prose and I love the slow, dreamy feel of the story. Gaiman's stories are never straightforward. There's just something dark about them even in this seemingly simplistic love story.

This is the cover of my illustrated version filled with beautiful, whimsical water colourings. How can I ever read the non-illustrated version again??

So I watched the movie with alot of apprehension. I was disappointed and disgruntled during the first half cos they changed so many parts and the movie couldn't portray the dreamy quality of the novel. Actually the whole movie felt overly dramatic, obvious and loud. The story's suppose to be quiet and subtle. Ironically, I began to enjoy the movie more as the plot completely diverted away from the actual book version. (Captain Shakespeare's a whoosy??? Yvaine killed the witch with a bust of starlight? Dad and mom reunited?) I gave up trying to compare and concentrated on the action.

And I started rooting for Thristran Thorn (isn't it a delightful name *sigh*) when he decided to keep his hair long. He looks AMAZINGLY cute in the innocent, blur way and you just can't help forgiving his flaws! I like that they played up the humour in the movie especially the parts where Yvaine kept rolling her eyes and making sarcastic comments, Cap. Shakespeare and his totally irrelevant antics and the ghostly bros with their totally droll remarks. Hilarious!

Claire Danes will always be Juliet to me. She even sounded Juliet-ish when she did a monologue on love, how it is "unexpected, uncontrollable, unconditional, unpredictable, unbearable" and how we often mistake it for loathing... It's so cute how she glows each time she's happy. Charlie Cox (he's only 3 years older than me!) is the perfect Thristran and I'll be looking out for him in future.



Looking forward to see how upcoming print-to-screen adaptations perform especially Ian McEwan's Atonement and Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials).

Lust, Caution - 4 stars

This is such a wrong time to watch movies but I wanted to catch the uncensored Lust, Caution before it runs its end to see what the hooha is about. The story –a spy thriller (not very thrilling cos it was painfully slow moving at some parts) – is pretty good. I love the gorgeous old-Shanghai settings, the outfits, the mannerisms and the culture (mahjong rules).

There were even bits of funny parts you usually don’t find in a serious romance/thriller. I guess when the plot revolves round how a bunch of students decide to turn spies during their hols, there’s bound to be some hilarious screw-ups along the way. And when you cast an American-accented Wang Lee Hom as an earnest young revolutionist, you can't expect anyone to take him seriously. I snickered/giggled each time he gave his doe-eyed, pained expression followed by his I’m-trying-my-best Chinese/Cantonese. Definitely there for eye-candy only (he’s cute).

As expected, the sex scenes were pretty explicit even for an R21 rating. Thank goodness nobody in the audience laughed or made stupid comments. Or maybe everyone was too shocked. Were the scenes crucial to the plot? In a way, yes. They revealed an astonishing different side to his character and gave us a glimpse as to what she was experiencing and feeling (and suffering). In that stuffy era where everyone was extremely courteous and differential, where people spoke succinctly with underlying meanings and gave each other significantly looks to convey what they actually meant, you’ll learn more about the characters in the bedroom when they throw off their masks. Especially the part when she broke down and described how oppressed she felt when they were having sex – I sort of understood where she meant because I saw what she had gone through.

The generally impressive acting, especially by the Chinese newcomer, has to be the saving grace for the movie. Of course Tony Leung doesn’t disappoint. He’s as cool as George Clooney if you know what I mean.

Birthdays

It's a rather belated post but I just hafta blog about how extra sweet Yixian looks in the dress Nic and Jiawen chose for her. I foresee that she'll be wearing dresses a teeny bit more often now...

We headed out to the East and celebrated Joseph's and Yixian's bdays. I'll say it again: East is the BEST! For food especially. So it was at Siglap's Werner's that we spent our night relishing good old German bangers and mash.

Believe it or not, it was the first time I ate pork knuckles (what a late discovery!) Getting past the crispy skin and centimeters deep of solid lard (looks ickly like candle wax), the meat lurking underneath was tender and totally addictive. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw ZQ savouring skin, FAT, meat and all. But I have to admit that the crispy skin is sinfully yummy.

Of course there's always space for desserts so we popped into Gelare across the road (that's the beauty of Siglap. everything is just round the corner) and had half-price waffles and ice-cream. I love Tuesdays! Though I remember hating them once for making me sad hur hur.

Trooped to Yixian's house for a few rounds of Nintendo Wii (her house reminds me of the CC where everyone gathers for fun and work). A pity I missed the boxing part!


Speaking of birthdays, I found a perfect prezzie for Des or at least I'm sure he will love it. Just that it'll blow a hole in my pocket to ship it over.

Scarred

I hate my clumsiness. Instead of walking with poise, I knock into tables and chairs or trip over lap top cables, bags and even my own foot. I don't recall having that many mishaps on skates.

Today marks a fresh scar on my knees when I tripped over ??? while jogging. The irritating thing is each time I fall, part of my sole peels off. My left Adidas is officially sole-less. Frig.

The Other

The debate is over and I only managed to read snippets of it in the papers. 377A stays. Interestingly, S 377A is probably the most well-known provision of the Penal Code now.

I feel rather indifferent to the result. As somebody pointed out, the government usually shuts both eyes when it comes to this matter and I can’t imagine they would be so ridiculous (or skillful) to catch every homosexual who has sex anyway. So gays are free to continue doing as they please.

I can understand why people are so reluctant to repeal S 377A. Having the prohibition written in black and white reaffirms society’s values and stand on this matter (never mind that it is rarely enforced). It’s like s 46 of the Women’s Charter which espouses that married couples should safeguard the interest of their union, care for their kids… Everyone knows that s 46 is not enforceable but the mere existence of it serves as a beacon to remind spouses how to behave. In that way, law reflects societal values and culture.

I appreciate that as a “traditional Asian society grounded in Confucian values” we are not ready to embrace homosexuality. Can you imagine your parents/grandparents NOT freaking out if you confess that you are gay? If S 377A is repealed, I can imagine floodgates opening and gays demanding for more rights in other areas such as same-sex marriage which is definitely unpalatable to many.

BUT we have to remember that our Penal Code, copied from the Indian Penal Code, is goodness know how old and the provisions reflect the values of society at that point of time in history. Even though S 377A was enacted later (hence the “A”), it is still a rather old provision. No one will deny that Singaporeans are more liberal and open minded now. No one now will claim that they don’t recognize fundamental human rights such as the right to equality. So isn’t there another solution other than to criminalize homosexual acts?

I’m neither pro-gay nor anti-gay. They can choose and live their lives however they wish. MYOB. However I believe that criminalizing such private acts is quite absurd. Imagine slapping a gay with a CRIMINAL record simply because he has sex with another gay in public (heterosexual couples are not punished for the same act)! It’s absurd to the point of being hilarious.

Why can’t they remove S 377A from the Penal Code and dump it in some other civil statute where at least the wrongdoing will not be an “offence”? Of course there are difficulties to this suggestion (replant the provision in which statute?). All I’m saying is that we should think of alternatives besides repealing/not repealing.

Prof Thio was especially engaged in this debate. I imagine that her diatribe was powerful (offensive??), cogent, witty and funny (like how her Public Law lectures usually are). But I didn’t understand why she argued that religion is not separate from public policy. Public policy is inevitably tied to politics and wasn’t it during Public Law lectures where we learnt that secular Singapore is careful to separate religion from politics?

Good day

Took Bus 30 today instead of the MRT because I needed to rest my legs. The new SBS buses are a vast improvement from the old ones – more leg space and seats are significantly inclined. I had forgotten how “scenic” the AYE-ECP route is (and the unparalleled view from the upper deck)

First, you’ll see Sentosa, cable cars and Vivo City. Next we’ll pass the through CBD. Then AYE will connect to the ECP flyover where there is a fantastic, unobstructed view of Singapore’s skyline, the NDP floating platform, the Esplanade, the construction of the IRs and the mouth of the Singapore River. The Singapore Flyer rises majestically on the other side. Honestly, it looks pretty impressive (it’s HUGE). Lastly, you’ll get a sneak peek of ECP before the bus exits the highway. Nice!

Presentation was yesterday. I thought we did well. Regardless, it’s a load off my mind. Fay braided my hair again (I have a current obsession with my hair) and found a few strands of white hair. I'M FREAKING OUT. Stress? Hereditary? Aging? Horrible.

I received a few comments. A couple of my friends said they couldn’t recognize me. One said I looked nice. Tuition kids said I looked “pretty” (something good from their mouths for once!) I concluded that it has to be the new hairdo and not my H&M blouse cos I wore it before without garnering any attention. Thanks again Fay!

Night school

I'm just glad that we managed to end 15 mins before the midnight surcharge kicked in. Taxi driver and I engaged in a stimulating conversation about company transparency and currency fluctuations (which warrants a little tip).

The school feels pretty safe at night. Block B is overly lit up (even going to the toilet alone is ok), security guards patrol the place and the entrance is locked from the outside after a certain time. The SCARY part was seeing classmates streaming out of classrooms at 10.30 pm after their piah-ing. Presentation aside, there is no way I will linger in sch till that late.

Here's part of The Group (deep in thought) in our new classrooms (where air-con automatically switches off at 9.15pm, not to save the earth, but faculty funds):


Oh but getting holed up in a classroom together for hours reveals many interesting tidbits about others like how a certain boy school (khaki shorts and epaulet) mandates their students to sing patriotic songs after the national anthem; a JC (voted to have the best uniform) which adopted a line from Robert Browning's poem for its school motto; and people from a certain JC (think of a smelly flower) who remained silent in our playful ribbing.

Fay and I craving for some distraction.


I don't know how she did it but Fay managed to plait a near perfect French braid with a few slick moves! I simply cannot perfect that braid no matter how many times I try (and the amount of hair plucked out in the process). Of course this will not be the last time I enlist her (free) help!

2 a.m.

"2am and the rain is falling..."

Though 2am rain is romanticized by Trademark's famous love song, I suppose there's nothing unusual about it raining at this time (just that we're usually asleep and oblivious to the weather). And there's nothing romantic about being awake at 2am, rushing to finish a presentation.

I feel too anxious to sleep. The tired-but-cannot-fall-asleep feeling. At least the night is cooled by the rain and mozzies are away. Night encourages introspection (when all is quiet and you're alone) and I feel my mind drifting into irrelevant thoughts. Productivity is dipping. Time to knock myself out.

Broke

I hate to admit that I have near zero discipline when it comes to shopping (broadly defined as buying clothes, books and frivolous stuff). Set out for town early today with the good intention of returning library books, buying bday cards and attending the Topshop sale preview for members. The sale was disappointingly limited (remnants of size 12s and 14s). I managed to sieve out a top (50% off) BUT FORGOT to use my Wisma cash vouchers to pay.

En route to Taka, I couldn't resist popping into Esprit for a quick look. Instead of getting a free camera pouch (fully redeemed), I walked out with a dress! Arrgghh. Feeling extremely guilty that my trip is not turning out the way it should, I headed to Taka without further distractions. Then I discovered that Kino is having a storewide 20% discount for members! I had to buy a book. Time to burn my loyalty cards!

Agitation aside, I'm pleased that I remembered to bring my eco-friendly shopping bag out. Plastic bag count today = zero! Felt a little self-conscious when other customers gave me weird looks when I refused a carrier but at least my shopping bag is genuine (and unique) and does not bear the words "I'm Not a Plastic Bag".

Hankering

I'm musing over when I succumbed to blogging after resisting it for years because (1) I cannot imagine baring my soul to the public and (2) I enjoy choosing and buying paper diaries too much to give it up. I reached a happy compromise of writing P & C stuff in my diary (like Betty who has diaries with different levels of P&C in case Veronica gets hold of one of them) and blogging about irrelevant thoughts and happenings. So I started this blog to reassure family and friends that I'm well (and alive) when I went MIA in Canada in June this year.

So why the quotidian blog name? Simply cos I lust to travel! Yeah I should be lucky to have visited many places but when is it ever enough when you're blessed/cursed with this irresistible, incurable, innate desire to explore new places?

I can't stop thinking of 2 places - Venice and Machu Picchu. It's really weird how coincidentally or otherwise, a couple of unrelated incidents sort of reaffirmed my desire to visit those places.

Venice: I always wanted to visit this supposedly most romantic city in Italy after missing it on my last visit. A couple of weeks ago, I watched a documentary on floods and they did a case study on Venice and how it is doomed to drown eventually. I have to visit Venice before it is finito! A couple of days ago, I was reminded of Venice again when I saw Des's envy-inducing pics of his Italian escapade (he takes pretty good pics of the architecture and scenery). With copyright permission obtained, here are some of his pics:


Machu Picchu: When Machu Picchu was nominated as one of the new Wonders of the World, I dismissed it as one of those over-hyped, overly crowded tourist spot (think Great Wall). A couple of weeks ago again, I met ZM on the bus. While in NYC on holiday, she and her bf decided to exploit cheap airfares to South America and embarked on a 4-day hike (Though I like the thought of luxurious hols, I miss trekking in dirt and mud. really.) up Peruvian mountains to reach the sacred Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. Imagine exploring lost Inca civilizations!! Last week, Arts Central featured a documentary on Peru. Lo and behold, the clip ended with a scale up Machu Picchu which looks exactly like a mystical lost world complete with swirling mist (I am reminded of one of my fav books: City of the Beast by Isabel Allende).


Arrgh. To cast all and take flight!

Windy heights

I love the smell of rain or rather, the smell that rain brings with it. The earthy, grassy scent of the natural flora. I imagine living in a meadow will smell like that. I wonder why such scents are only revealed when it rains (For an amazingly vivid and lush description of sensory pleasures, read Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind).

Living on the highest floor sometimes feels like I'm living in a wind funnel cos we get so much wind blowing through the house (which is why I can smell the rain before it comes). And when it rains and we shut the windows, the howling outside intensifies. It gets quite creepy at night and I used to worry whether our house will get blown down. But since dust comes with the wind, we get alot of it too. Despite sweeping the floor everyday, I realize that battling dust is futile. Which is probably why I get so sneezy and hivey indoors.

The general and the specific

If I took away anything from my legal anthropology class, it was the reminder not to generalize about people and their cultures since (1) I'm not an anthropologist and (2) I have not done any fieldwork to validate my generalizations. But it's unrealistically impossible for people not to generalize about others. And usually there's a spark of truth in generalizations.

Offhand, I can think of many instances where we generalize and stereotype: Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars; little girls are sugar and spice and all things nice and what are little boys made of? snipes and snails and puppy dogs tails; Singaporeans are kiasu and speak bad English; only cannot-make-it guys get mail order brides; law students are snooty etc etc etc.

On the way home, a Philippino man (very few foreign workers speak English and he sounded Philippino) asked me to figure out how to make an overseas call at a public phone. I was obviously clueless so I tried calling all the helplines listed on the card and endured the annoying automated phone directions. Finally, I saw the instructions glaring at me on the board in front and yay the guy managed to call home.

He was elated, shook my hand (his was very clammy) and thanked me profusely (seldom see a stranger behave like that). I walked off, bought something and walked past him again. Heard him whisper "hold on" and then he turned to me and started bowing and thanking me again.

Of course I felt the usual warm and fuzzy feeling after being thanked so much. I did my Good Deed of the day. Ok so I can't help but generalize (after hearing other testimonies) that Philippinos are a friendly bunch of people.

Tech attack

Blog update has been infrequent because I (1) discovered the addictiveness of Facebook (2) am buried oceans deep in my IT Law research which coincidentally deals with blog content regulation. There's simply too much technology in my life these days.

Not that I'm anti-modernity/technology. Facebook is a gem for digging out skeletons in your closet. A friend who left for Texas in P2 actually found me and we started this "Oh my goodness it's been so long! Do you remember..." conversation. I smell a primary school reunion some time soon. And I just discovered that my dad's print subscription to the Economist allows me to access thousands of archived articles online which is TOTALLY cool for research.

Then again, the IT law presentation is a bitch cos less than 2 weeks before the presentation and after a consultation with the prof, we had to reformulate our topic. Hence 6 hours was spent in school today anally debating the meaning of every single word and sentence structure. But I have to admit that it's stimulating to have 2 dean-listers and a master student in my group.

The thing is, the more I research on how blog content is regulated, the more I fear that I'm blogging about inappropriate stuff. Laws on privacy, anonymity and free speech are seriously lacking here and I think we're not even constitutionally protected for free speech. So how can I be sure that my content falls within the OB markers (which I'm unaware of until I researched for this project)? And do you know that we can blog about racial and religious stuff so long as we do not incite the public? No I didn't and I will continue to be a good old citizen, play safe and abstain from the so called "taboo" topics.

Rocky Road

You know a bus is vintage when it has no air-con and rattles like an Osim iDesire at the "all-body massage" mode. You know a bus is ancient when it jerks, clanks, bounce, jolt, shake, vibrate more than the balls in a Toto prediction machine.

The ancient 151 I took home yesterday was a nightmare. Each time the driver accelerates, you can see everyone bracing themselves for another round of earth-shattering jerks. I sincerely thought that the bus was going to lose a wheel, lose 2 wheels or split in half. The vibrations got so bad that I tried to minimize contact with any part of the bus. I lifted my legs off the ground, leaned forward and sat on the tip of my bottom.

Where's our world-class public transport?

Unfocused

I'm terribly distracted these days doing everything but what I should be doing. Like now. Legal Anthropology is cast aside for an entirely enthralling novel. There are few books that create epiphanic moments for their readers and unfortunately (for my legal anthro grade), this is one of them.

When reading a novel halfway, I like to flip to the beginning and read the reviews. Of course they only publish good reviews but some resonate more than the others.

“Extravagant, witty and dark, Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a sprawling campus novel, an intricate murder mystery, a coming-of-age tale and a sly satire of intellectualism and academia. Her prose is…vivid, erupting in a free-fall of wordplay, wise cracks, encyclopedia tidbits and a barrage of cultural references… Her enthusiasm for language is a delight.” – The Miami Herald

“A frisky, smarty-pants debut… an escapist extravaganza packed with literary and pop culture allusions, mischievous characterizations, erotic intrigue, murders and unstoppable narrative energy.”- Entertainment Weekly

“Pessl not only re-creates Holden [Caulfield], she goes one step further by meshing him with Hardy Boys… enlightening entertainment.” – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“If Valdimir Nabokov had created a female Holden Caulfield, he might have written this delightful fiction debut.” – The Dallas Morning News

“There is a voice here to like, part Huck Finn, part Holden Caulfield, part Fran Leibowitz, and part Nora Ephron.” – Harper’s Magazine

Observation: I am amazed that the author, at the age of 28, could have read so many books to quote them liberally throughout the novel. Also, Holden Caulfield has been mentioned umpteen times. Whenever a story has a young adult persona, reviewers will invariably make references to him. WHY? Catcher in the Rye is good and I can see why it has become a classic. But I didn’t particularly like Holden Caulfield even though I can empathize with him.

There's always time

Despite being bogged down with work during our oxymoronic study break, I'm touched that you guys bothered to turn up for dinner! After watching Joshua (very good creepy show which makes you never want to have kids), we trooped to Central but all the restaurants had a line (not true that Singaporeans only queue for free stuff) so we ended up at Fishermen's Wharf. It's the place for fish and chips - at least 10 kinds of fish and hand cut chips.

Yes Des, your absence was felt by all of us! Anyway you can see that we all look pretty much the same (WH joined us for once!).


And I got my fav choc cake from Rive Gauche. You all do know me quite well. Thanks for the tunic too!

We had a hilariously difficult time lighting the candles. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the cake. Choco craving!!

And I finally got my wish of seeing some lanterns before the Mid-Autumn Festival ends. But those by the Singapore River were nothing impressive. SY and Yilynn involved in fishy affairs.

Group pic by one old uncle who gamely agreed to use my digital cam.


Standing in front of Chang-Er who looks like she can't wait to return to the moon after being gawked at by nosy passers-by.


Daryl and I looking like ghosts (ok just me in my white sack).


I like the whimsical lamp XX gave me very much. It has this cool contraption that allows you to adjust the brightness simply by tapping the rim of the lamp. Thanks!


Just watched the President Star Charity and it's one of the more enjoyable ones. A musical! Same old performers but I note a multi-racial cast and greater involvement of non-actors : Woffles Wu jiggling to Saturday Night Fever, socialites sashaying across the "ballroom", Dick Lee singing Fried Rice Paradise, Jonathan Leong attempting a Chinese song (commendable effort but pls stick to Chasing Cars), Singapore Idol contestants doing a High School Musical, Dr William Tan and Gurmit grooving to Grease Lightning and our President reciting Desiderata (according to my dad) - a poem by Max Ehrmann about attaining happiness in life. Sweet.

Too helpful

Drove again today for the 7th/8th time since i passed 2 years ago. Easy, breezy glide through the drizzle.

Reached home and got ready to reverse into the lot. Saw somebody gesturing, grinning and giving me the thumbs up in front. My neighbour, my driving instructor. It was probably the first time he saw me drive a car other than his. I on the other hand was not so thrilled to see him and disappoint him with my atrocious parking skills.

Fate has it that his car was parked directly opposite me. So Very-Nice-Uncle wasted half a min standing there, gesturing to me to turn the steering wheel left/right while I struggled to park under his scrutiny. Stress/nervousness won and I waved frantically for him to drive away first before I moved an inch further.

Embarrassing ordeal's not over. While everything was happening, a guy happened to walk past and decided to observe the little scene before him. I saw the amused look on his face as he turned his head left (me) and right (Uncle). Uncle drove off but random stranger (ok he stays in my block) stood there and took upon himself to be my traffic controller No. 2.

Another round of gesturing began. I bet he didn't know that Uncle is my driving instructor who will probably ALWAYS correct his students whenever, wherever (like how I correct my tuition kids outside class). I bet he thought that he should take up the unfinished act of neighbourly kindness where it stopped (when Uncle drove off).

It is time to remove the P-Plate (expired lifespan + 1).

Kopi Shop really Rocks!

My mom is sulky because I didn't ask her to go for our Law IV production - Kopi Shop Rocks. Dunno why I just didn't think of asking her. I'm regretting now cos our musical is FANTASTIC and everybody should go and see it! Though Law IV is supposedly the graduating batch's performance, only half of the cohort is involved (hey they also need an audience).

Yixian and I arrived kiasuly early and we managed to get good seats despite holding the cheapest tickets. Cass looks extra pretty (right HM?) so I'm putting up a close-up pic of her haha.


I'm very proud of my friends/classmates for putting up a musical from scratch! The vintage props were great, retro costumes were very cool, music and lyrics were catchy and I guess the most enjoyable part was just watching people you know act, dance and sing.

It suddenly dawned on me that law people are musically inclined (they should have a Law School's Got Talent). Nearly everyone I know plays one or more musical instruments. Yixian for eg has mastered the piano, keyboard, drums, guitar and saxophone. I feel totally depressed and un-gifted with my half-baked, no, fully uncooked organ skills. Arrgh.

ZQ was so uncharacteristically grumpy and curt that I couldn't help chuckling each time his Mr Kwan comes on stage. I finally had the chance to hear him croon (Yixian says he has perfect pitch!) but didn't video his solo because it was at a romantic part and I was distracted. Here's him looking his usual cheery self:


Here's a clip from the Cabaret scene. Julia has a (surprisingly) pleasant singing voice!



Excellent finale!



JH on the other hand was in his element as a half-naked bawdy gangster. (Cui if you're reading this, he is the guy we met on the bus) Here's a clip on his antics:

Delighted!

The postman proved a wonderful distraction when he came knocking in the midst of my energy law paper. I had a parcel! The feeling of receiving a gift/letter through snail-mail is something technological advances cannot replace.


Thanks Cui for the scrapbook album (and Andy for spotting it)! It's totally something I want but cannot afford to buy. And I really appreciate how much it cost to ship it here. US$21 is absurd.
(Quaere: Do they have low-cost carriers for freight too?)


Anyway I'm probably the last one who knows that she is working part time in the HR dept. of DKNY! Yes, DONNA KAREN NEW YORK! Think Ugly Betty but a much much thinner version. DKNY offers lust-inducing chic basics. I think my jealousy is justified!

Blessed

I feel especially gratified and loved on my birthday when friends and family send their well-wishes. THANK YOU! I guess as we get older, busier, drift apart or leave the country (thanks Yiwei for your messages! I can't wait to receive the parcel from Cui!), a simple SMS from friends whom I’ve not seen for years is all the more meaningful.

I'm a sucker for birthdays because they are a celebration of LIFE! They mark the existence of every person on earth. Birthdays don't end when we turn 21.

Thank you to my parents, grandparents and aunt for their generous ang baos. And my bro for getting me 2 of Olivia's bossa nova CDs when I requested for 1. And also my aunt for the charming present (yes, I’m still a Disney princess at heart).

Thanks Niccole, Yixian, Jiawen, Joseph for the blue dress (I’m so glad you all chose blue over black!) and the personalized card. Commanded to wear it on my bday, I wore it to lunch at The Tea Party today.

I picked The Tea Party mainly because it is near school and because the second level has totally chilloutable couches for slouching and gossiping.

And of course the lunch wouldn't be complete without their famous teas (with the weirdest names. Mine was "Silver Needle") and utterly heavenly scones! The duck pizza was different and I like the juicy prawns in my aglio but there was a dash too much chilli flakes.


A sign of a chilloutable place is the availability of cushions. Caught a cushion-fight in action.


Thanks Bing and ZY for the illustrated Stardust! Of course will read it before watching the screen adaptation. Thanks Gen for Camomile Blend (prettily wrapped. took forever to extract the CD in fear of spoiling the wrapper).


I was mortified when ZQ shouted "happy bday" across the classroom and started a bday song! But yeah, it's something I would do to sabo my friends too haha.

Had dinner at Miss Clarity Cafe with Gill, Julia and TR. Appreciate you busy people with morning classes for spending the night with me. Thanks for the inspirational book (yes I know Virgos are a pessimistic race)!


My fav Mud Ooze was as decadent as ever. Too stuffed to eat my bday cake!


The last few good pics at Raffles Hotel before battery was exhausted.


Two unexpected incidents cropped up. Yixian was fined $70 for parking within 6m from the junction. What bloody unheard-of rule is that?! The worse thing is we parked at a RESIDENTIAL area - Bukit Timah - and NONE of the cars parked in front of her were fined. Parking at Bukit Timah is a nightmare. Don't know how the rest managed to find a LEGAL space.

I was wholly to be blamed for the other incident. Yixian parked at House 5 in school under a Saga tree. The whole carpark was scattered with the pretty red seeds. So itchy fingers me couldn't resist picking one and attempted to kick it. Law of gravity dictates that the seed will fall (and I will miss) but I was unprepared to see my shoe fly in a perfect trajectory over the fence to the construction site next door! A LOCKED fence. In hysterics, we managed to use a branch to fish my shoe out. Thank goodness for the gap below the fence!