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.