Seriously

A new project

2009-04-20T11:17:00.003+08:00

I like to write and share with people what i'm going through. And apparently some people enjoy reading what i have to write. So i thought i should begin on a project that i will keep for life. A short online novel about my life in the amazing city of New York City. Here we go!

Introduction

People who know me know that Im a big fan of the TV show Friends. I have watched every single episode of that series at least 3 times and every time i watch it, i laugh at the same jokes even though i can totally see them coming. In fact, i still watch it here whenever there is a rerun in the evenings. Watching the six friends, namely Ross, Monica, Chandler (My favorite friend), Phoebe, Joey and Rachel, created a dream within me. I started to imagine how it would be like to live in New York City in Greenwich Village with 5 other friends, spending every moment of the day with one another, living every day like a comedy, filled with laughter and joy. That is my dream.

So when i was admitted into New York University, i knew that was where i was going. It was my chance to fulfill this dream of mine. I packed my bag and left for the Big Apple, bracing myself as the next chapter of my life begin to unfold. I knew it was going to be an amazing adventure, despite having no friends in the city. But i was not afraid. I knew i could make friends. But making friends that i could live with and become part of my party of six, that's probably the problem. Some of you are probably wondering: why couldn't you do this in Singapore? Singapore is a city and you already have friends that you have established in your 21 years, why not settle there?

To answer this, we have to face the truth. Let's be honest with ourselves. Singaporeans just aren't as fun as the americans... do you honestly imagine Singaporeans as the cast of Friends? It's a rhetoric question so don't even bother answering. And i always felt comfortable in the states. The land of freedom, alcohol and marijuana. Not that i indulge in them, but at least there is the option. Ok fine I indulge myself in the first two. Happy now?

Back to the main story. After a 24 hour flight which i survived by downing as much free wine as i can to knock myself out, I found myself at the world famous JFK airport to be disappointed by it. I imagined it to be flooded with people, but it was like a ghost town when i arrived. But i was not going to let this dampen my spirit. I got into a taxi to make my way to the city, and as i drew near to Manhattan, the skyline of the city made my heart pound. I was filled with excitement. I was finally in the city of dreams, where people come to pursue their dreams and find love. Or at least according to Jennifer Hudson in Sex and the City.

And before you know it, it has almost been a year. Life in the Big Apple moves so fast. There is so many things to do, see, hear, eat and enjoy. I excluded smell because unless you like the smell of sewage and vomit, i don't think you will find New York having a pleasant aroma. It is just so fast paced, which is why there are times you need to slow down and just reflect upon your life. Maybe do some free yoga at St Mark's or sip coffee in one of the local cafes. If you give up finding one, the starbucks at every street corner will suffice.

It was one of those days that i had just finished all my homework and was chilling in my friends' apartment. Alright fine. I finished all the homework that is technically due the day after. I live one day at a time. You can't fault me for that. I was just looking at my friend Thuy and Lilly making stupid sounds, wondering how i got myself caught up in this crazy bunch of people. And then i thought about the 3 guys and 3 girls from Friends. I looked in the room i was in. The room i practically spend more time in than my own apartment. 4 girls 1 guy. The 5 of us: Yawei, Lilly, Thuy, Melanie and myself. And i thought to myself: I am a long way away from my dream life.

And just at that moment, we all burst into song from a youtube video, and i realize, perhaps i am not that far off from my dream. Perhaps i am living my dream without even realizing it. And perhaps i am currently in the production of the pilot season of Friends II, starring me and my 4 girl friends in NYC Greenwich Village.

Dragonball

2009-02-08T11:23:00.002+08:00

omg omg omg... Seriously... Why must they do this to Dragonball, one of my favourite comics of all time... Dragonball is the reason why i didnt get my 260+ PSLE aggregate which caused me to get into ACSI! IT SAVED MY LIFE! If it wasn't for dragonball keeping me entertained when im suppose to be studying, i could have gone to RI and become... become... A TRUE RAFFLESIAN! Omg just saying it makes me sick. Thank God im not...

I can't believe they are doing this... a white guy as Goku. and CHOW YUN FAT as Roshi the turtle old man?! wait that should have been old turtle man... Ok thats how upset and angry I am. I am becoming incoherent with my language!

Anyway some happy thoughts. I went to the gym today. I did some weights and ran a little. But the best part of it all was that when i got back, i made myself a healthy berry smoothie consisting of frozen mixed berries, yoghurt, 1% fat milk and soya protein powder! Muhaha all this so that i could pig out just now at the Singapore Student Association at NYU elections. But now i feel fat from eating too much char mee and prawn noodle soup. haha

Superbowl 09

2009-02-03T05:22:00.001+08:00

For those of you who know me, it is no surprise that I'm not a sports person. I was never good at any sports. And I have tried many. I started with swimming. Was never good enough to join the elites. Then I tried tennis. Played for a year or so. Got thrashed by a friend who only played the sport for a month. Was forced to try golf which I was horrible at. Badminton, table tennis, bowling, waterpolo. Name it, I've tried it and I suck at them all.

I have purposely left the most played sport by guys out. That would be football, or soccer just to clear the confusion for my American friends. I hate soccer. There is a story behind it. My dad abandoned me to this soccer camp against my own will and it was horrible. It scarred me!!! I was bullied everyday because I had no friends in the camp. I remember crying and asking my dad to bring me home, which he just laugh off. And since then, I hated soccer. Don't judge me. I was young. There are some who almost drowned and became hydrophobic. Mine was soccer.

I am getting somewhere with this. Bear with me. So yesterday was superbowl and it's tradition to watch it with a bunch of friends even if you aren't a football fan. After all, there are great commercials on and a half time show. So in my attempt to integrate into the American culture, I joined a bunch of Americans in my first ever superbowl.

Football is pretty much like rugby. And I hate rugby. 4 years in my highschool AcsI which highly exalts the rugby players and spending a vacation with irwin seet the rugby coach caused it. and it is such a caveman sport. It's just people crashing into one another. Bunch of retards.

But something weird happened. During the superbowl, I found myself cheering. My heart was racing as I see the quarter back make his pass and the receiver catching it and running with all his life across the field. I can't believe it either. I actually like watching football! So as I read up about the rules and decide which team I'm going to support next season, I guess I am becoming more American as the days go by.

I heart me iPhone

2009-01-30T04:22:00.001+08:00

Woohoo I love my iPhone! I'm playing with it now, waiting for my stats class to start and I realized that I can blog on my iPhone! Of cos only if there is wifi available which can hardly be found in new York city... So low tech...
Talk about my stats class. I seriously think my stats professor is turning senile. He is teaching us probability and he can't even answer the questions on his own powerpoint slides.
Question: if you roll a die 10 times, what is the probability that you will roll at least one '6'?
His answer: 1/6. Because all you need is one 6, hence the probability of that is 1/6. The later rolls doesn't matter anymore hence 1/6 is the answer.
I was speechless. Even ian loo could get this question right.. Ian was my math disciple back in acsi days, along with ben wai and Raphael who all did very well for their o levels I think. My memory is fuzzy. Anyway that's not the point. The point is that I'm a fantastic teacher. Hehe at least I'm better than my stats professor... Unbelievable...

hehe

2008-12-10T00:45:00.003+08:00

so life is filled with so many things so shoot me if i havent found the time to sit down and blog. you guys know how much i can drone on about my life. I really have to apologize to people who get turn off by my super lengthy writing. After all, i myself can never seem to motivate myself to read an email that is more than 4 lines long, so it kinda doesn't justify why i make people go through the painful agony of reading my multiple page comments. Ok so before i go on again droning on about everything and anything, just wanna share this amazing ad i saw in class. This is the reason why i actually enjoy college.

School

2008-09-28T05:22:00.003+08:00

I think my 2 years in the army and 9 months of slacking have killed my brain. I seem to be taking a looong time to absorb information. The worst part of it all is that in this sem, the courses im doing are mostly writing stuff. Lets see what im doing.

Writing the Essay: Yup i guess the course pretty much says what we do during class. We write essays. I feel like im back in secondary school where we have to write short stories. BUT imagine this in an environment with kids with amazing vocabulary and expressions. OMG... this class is such a pain to go through. Every lesson, i just sit there praying i don't have to speak. I don't want to sound stupid. We spend every lesson analyzing(with a Z) text and criticizing them. Ok i spend my whole life doing Science and Math. In JC i was a triple science student. I dropped history when i was sec 3. Another words, i don't analyze text. I read them and take them as FACTS. So i really have nothing to say when im reading a poem or a short story, let alone reading the essay belonging to the person sitting beside me who wrote about him cheating on his girlfriend by sleeping with his best friend. omg... a 17 year old... And i was suppose to give comments about his DESCRIPTIVE RICH essay. faint... Hope i can get a B in this class...

Asian American Studies: Very interesting learning about the history of Asians in America. Except there is soooo much to read. And i have to write a paper to hand in next week. A paper consist of a thesis and evidence and explanation. I was like ok.. i don't know what a paper is. What do you expect from a triple science student?! Throw me a periodic table and some chemicals and i will make things happen for you, not give me a tonne of books and ask me to come out with a THESIS. What is that anyway... So anyway i went up to my teacher also known as a preceptor.(I know.. what's that... im like is that a kind of robot from transformer? "Im a preceptor! Surrender to me, Decepticon! Megatron too!") I told her "i have no idea what a paper is." And she replied "Didn't you hear the question? Just write. Write alot. Understand?" Im like "aaa NO." And she replied "Just write. See you next week." FAINT... I hope i at least get like a C for this paper... and its GRADED. sigh... Should have done a chemistry major or something... my room mate is having trouble remembering the formula of acids like HCl and HNO3... sigh...

Intro to Media Criticism: My favourite class! This class is sooo fun. We learn about how the media uses certain tricks and we watch clips and advertisements and evaluate why they do what they do. It is really interesting. My first assignment which i did in the first week was to watch the old version of romeo and juliet and the new one with leonardo dicaprio and evaluate which one should a freshman class watch. And for my current big assignment, i have to choose a contemporary tv show and write how they portray certain values in society. ARGH!!! I KNOW! Its like a fun assignment for a tv freak like me!

Calculus: Speechless. After 4 weeks of limits, we finally start learning how to do differentiation. This class is known as my catch up on reading/facebook/pon if needed to catch up on homework class. I gave up trying to look like im paying attention. A free A!

And besides these 4 classes which im taking for credits, im taking 2 other language classes which takes place once a week. So for an hour weekly, i will learn how to speak cantonese: Ngoh kiu derrick! Ne mat meng? & spanish: Me llamo derrick! Como se llamas? Its really fun and stressfree because there is no homework!

And thats pretty much school. From mon to thurs, mostly packed with lessons and homework. Then on friday, my weekend starts!

Btw, i was saying "my name is derrick. What's your's?" Hehe... drop me a msg and tell me how you guys are doing. Haven't talked to so many of you guys for a looong time.

Finally a post!

2008-09-25T02:25:00.002+08:00

My goodness. I just realised i have been in New York for a month. Time pass so fast...

Ok back track a little.

I remember on my first day, it was so crazy. The cab driver dropped me off like 25 meters away from my apartment and threw all up baggage and stuff onto the sidewalk and drove us. I stared at it and was like "ok i need at least 2 people to help me carry all this stuff into the apartment. I could see the apartment, but i couldn't just leave all my things on the sidewalk and run into the apartment and ask for help. So i decided to ask the "friendly" people of New York to help me look after my stuff while i run to ask for help. Well just like Singapore, people are just too busy to stop for a minute and help a poor asian kid. After being rejected for about 5 times, a kind lady decided to help me. Thank God.. so i finally got someone to help me bring all my stuff into my room. It was crazy! Taking a 3 hour bus ride from Philly to NYC chinatown, then finding a cab and driving through the crazy streets of NY to finally reach my apartment at Union Square which is flooded with people.

Then it was welcome week. And welcome week was awesome. The university planned a lot of events which were really fun and some really weird.

The fun ones:

1) Hypnosis show. omg.. people... hypnotism is REAL. I am a true believer. This guy got normal people and i know they are normal because some of them are my friends, to forget a certain number exist, to think they are werewolves, and actually think a belt is a snake. Its bloody creepy but super hilarious at the same time. That was by far the best show i have ever been to in my life. Its amazing.

2) Comedy Night. 2 comedians were invited to do stand up comedy. One of them was from Last Comic Standing. Those of you who have starworld should know this show since they flood the schedule with that show. She was HILARIOUS. but then the next guy came along and no one has ever heard of him and he kept us in the auditorium for like an hour plus. He is funny but not funny enough to keep me in there for an hour. Felt liking throwing a tennis ball at him when he started talking abt politics at 12am.

3) US OPEN. Yes people i was at the US open and i managed to catch the history making Ivanovic match. Yup the match that seed no.1 for woman lost to an unknown girl who is ranked like 188 or something. And i was there cheering for the underdog! It was such a cool experience.

4) Daves and Buster. Just imagine a really nice arcade that is all colorful and pretty. And then imagine not having to pay a cent to play all the games.

5) FREE FOOD! There was free food everywhere we went!

The weird:

1) Rocky Horror Show. Apparently this is some cult movie abt transvestites. And honestly, i was abit creeped out BUT i did enjoy myself. Firstly, everyone was dressing up as trannies. Guys n girls were wearing skirts and fishnet stockings and make up and ok... thinking abt it just makes me sick. Then throughout the movie, people kept shouting comments. Its apparently all planned so the comments blend in really well with the movie, making it super hilarious at times, and at others, im just trying to figure out what they are saying. Then suddenly out of nowhere, people started throwing toilet paper rolls around and rice and water. And there was this part of the movie where everyone got up and dance to the music. It was WEIRD... not to mention the show started off with a weird program of who can fake the best orgasm. *shake head* i know... i didnt know whether to laugh or to cry.

2) The crazy people of New york. Or should i say there are many crazy people in New York. This weird guy came up to me at the subway and said "You are gay right? Love the way ya standing! Keep it up!" Apparently standing cross legged is a gay thing here... Not to mention all the wierd homeless people asking for change and all the crazy performance around the parks, especially at union square where i live.

3) The stupid skit they make us put up to sing our school song... omg yes... stern the biz school has a stupid school song and we had to sing it in different genres... Making biz school kids do drama stuff and sing is not a good idea. There is a reason why they are in stern and not in tisch, the famous school of film in NYU. (btw there is a strong rivalry between the 2 schools)

Tisch kid: You stern people are so boring. All you think about is making money and losing your soul. I don't understand why you guys will study something so boring.

Stern kid: Well i don't understand why you tisch kids would pay so much for college to graduate and fight for a few open jobs.

So they can say whatever they want... in the end, its the stern kid that make it in life. :D

I guess that sums up welcome week. Go to my facebook album to view all the pictures i have taken in NYC.

FINALLY

2008-09-18T08:45:00.002+08:00

Woohoo! I finally figured out how to use the wifi in NYU. You would think that NYU being one of the richest school in the world would be super high tech. Well, it isn't. I don't even have wireless in my dorm. Totally ridiculous. SO ANYWAY because now i finally figured out how to use the secured wifi in school and using the laptop in most of my classes, expect me to blog more, especially on Mon & Wed when i got calculus class which is soooooooo boring. Ok back to my tv shows. I just spend all my time here doing my homework or watching TV. TV!!!!

Remaining days in philly

2008-08-27T04:11:00.010+08:00

Sorry have been really busy packing my stuff and unpacking and orientation is just way too happening for me to have time to blog. So i finally got a little time so here we go!

So... Day 4! Nothing much really. Was our rest day. We went to this upscale mall. Very nice place. Had a lot of shops. Not outlet so wasn't really into it. But there was just so many nice things! So anyway i couldn't resist it so i bought something from american eagle again. Did i mention i love american eagle now? Oh and i bought a pair of abercrombie slippers. For the first time in my life, i actually forked out 30 bucks to buy a pair of flip flops... DUN JUDGE ME!! In my defense, its really comfortable... and it looks real nice. Like really comfortable nice. And its abercrombie! its like limited edition in Singapore, ok! So anyway this is how it looks like.

Abercrombie stuff are sooo nice but soooo expensive. oh well.

Then we had dinner at this place called the Cheesecake Factory. omg.. im bringing this is to singapore. Franchise it. It has the most amazing cheesecake in the world. And the food is good. I didn't bring my camera so i didnt take any pics of the food. But... i had to pack a cheesecake home. It was sooooooo good. When i first put a chunk into my mouth, i experienced what i call "food orgasm". Its when you taste such good food, you enter into a state of extreme happiness and contentment. The only other time i got this was when i ate sushi at this sushi bar in hongkong and another time when i had this amazing chocolate cake at mortons. But anyway this cheesecake is creamy. Not too sweet. Texture is right. Cheese flavor just right. and the cream they give is sooo good. Its light and not so sweet which makes it wow. EVERYTHING ABT IT IS GOOD. This is how is looks like.

And on friday, i went touring around the nice part of Philly. The touristy part where i get to learn the history of USA and see the liberty bell and hear all about benjamin franklin. At first i was like 'that guy sounds familiar... is he like a president once?" My friend was like "no... he was the guy that discovered electricity." And i went "Electricity? Isn't that Thomas Eddision?" And she said "no... he invented the light bulb." And i went "oh. oh well. not like it matters now!"

So anyway... just some shots of the city and stuff.

Contact me!

2008-08-22T00:24:00.003+08:00

Just a short commericial break.

You guys can contact me over MSN, or email. My school email which i will access pretty often is derricksee@nyu.edu. You can also get me on facebook. Or Skype (derrick_see) to make better video calls. Or you can simple call my cellphone at 1-646-932-1052. (1 is the country code while 646 is area code). For those using starhub, just punch in 018 before this number and you will be able to call me for free. (By free i mean no international charge. You pay local minutes) Or ichat which im still trying to figure out. But then again, most of you guys dun have macs.

Day 3: Theme Park

2008-08-21T22:14:00.014+08:00

Again we woke up early to make our way to an amusement park in Penn, also known as Dorney Park and Wild Water Kingdom.

Kinda like Wild Wild Wet and Escape Theme park put together then multiply the place by about 10 times. Again we drove at least an hour to get there. In America, everyone drives.

We first went to the water park which is nothing special really. Same stuff as fantasy island. Just look nicer.

However the rides were a world of a difference. Seriously. I screamed so hard for so many of them. And if i didn't scream, it was because it got stuck in my throat because it was way too scary. Let me show you guys the rides. They were so so fun. And apparently, there is another theme park called Six Flags which have rides that are death defying! So exciting! Im so going there during the hallloween month when fright fest in on!

Im just going to show you guys how the rides look. Here we go!

Just some highlights. There were a few rides that were absolutely memorable.

The first one was the Talon! It was so so so good!

It was so good i went on it twice. And i knew i had to share it with you guys. So i actually video-ed it! Just so that you can join me on this ride. Muahaha it was INSANE!

Next scary one was known as the Steel Force. It was the best roller coaster i have even taken in my life. The drop was OMG ARGHHHHHHH -Choke- ARGHHHHHH!

Then the newest and the most interesting ride and by far the best i have ever taken is the VOODOO. It was soooooo good. Imagine a U shaped track and ya just going back and forth and super high speed. Actually don't bother imagining it. I got pictures and video for it!

This was how fast it was.

So anyway today i had breakthrough in my life. I became more secure with my body. For the first time in my life, i took off my shirt and went barebody and didn't feel ashamed. You know how in Singapore its so malu to take out our shirts at the beach because everybody's body is like sooo good with six packs and stuff. Psh. But here! IN AMERICA! EVERYONE IS SO FAT! American TV is totally giving us the wrong impression. In about 40 people, maybe you will find one with a really good body. And i means both boys and girls. The only people that were fit that i saw in the park were the workers(esp the cleaners) and like 2 guys. Yah thats all. EVERYONE ELSE WAS GROSSLY FAT and they all took off their shirts. You know what! Just to prove my point, i will post a picture of me barebody!

oh btw the other 2 are friends of my friend, My. Their names are Ricky and Anne. Great bunch of people.

We left in the evening after completing all the scary rides.

It was a fantastic day. I absolutely love roller coaster rides. I wish you guys were here with me. So maybe make arrangements and come to the states and we will go on these rides together. Im telling you. Its totally worth it. It is NOTHING like our crappy escape theme park. Seriously lor. Escape makes me want to ESCAPE from Singapore! oh man... im sooooo loving America! and i have to say, my photography skills are really good! Hehehe...

Day 2: Road Trip to Delaware

2008-08-21T21:07:00.005+08:00

We woke up really early to start our drive to Delaware. Delaware is a state nearby to Philly. It is about a 2 hour drive. The agenda for today is SHOPPING!

You are probably thinking... why go all the way to delaware to shop? Because in Delaware, its tax free! Means you dun have to pay the 7% tax like how we pay for our GST. And not to mention, there is a huge outlet mall there with many brands such as Ralph Lauren and A&F.

After a grueling 2 hour drive and messing with the radio and listening to Jesse Mccartney's Leaving and Leona Lewis's Better in time and Chris Brown's Forever about 5 times each, we finally arrived at the Rehobeth Beach Outlet Mall. It was HUGE. Huge in a sense that there were soooo many stores, to the point where there is no way we could finish them in a day so we had to choose particular stores we want to go to.

Of cos i went crazy. The first store i went in was the Ralph Lauren Store. In there i spent an hour shopping. I left the shop buying 3 collar shirts, 1 sweater vest, 2 bottles of cologne (explorer & blue) & a handtowel. So lets see how much i saved. In singapore, it will probably cost 140 a shirt. The vest probably 170. Cologne are 90 each. handtowel maybe 10. So all together, i bought a grand total worth of 780 dollars worth of stuff. I paid 300 dollars. A SAVINGS OF 480 BUCKS! WOOHOO! Not to mention when i get back to Singapore, i will be looking all rich and fashionable in my Ralph Lauren Clothes. REAL Ralph Lauren and not the fake ones YOU PEOPLE buy in Thailand. PUI!

Lunch time! We went to this really interest place called IHOP.
Apparently it stands for International House of Pancakes. I was like why is it called international when i have never heard of it! Anyway the pancakes there are AMAZING. The Syrup they give, i can drink it! Their butter pecan syrup is OMG good... a must try. I ordered a cinammon apple crisp pancake breakfast set. And the servings are HUGE. No wonder Americans are soooo fat. LOOK AT THIS!

This is what they have for BREAKFAST! Amazing... Anyway i managed to control myself and not finish everything, but seriously, the food was good... You know how in Singapore the only good pancakes we can ever find is the hotcakes in Macs. How depressing is that... Anyway these pancakes were YUMMY!!! Better than those at macs. And the syrup was about 20 times better than those at macs. So So good.

I then headed to the American Eagle store and there i went crazy again.

I never knew American Eagle had such nice clothes. Not to mention affordable. I bought 2 berms and 2 jeans there. The jeans were really good quality and cost about 50 each.

Walked a lil to the converse store and bought 2 pair of shoes. They were selling at 30 bucks! And i just love converse shoes.

The highlight to me was the Calvin Klein Store.

For the first time in history, i can actually afford Calvin Klein. Shirts were going for about 55. Graphic T about 20. Unfortunately, none of the sizes fit me! Can you believe it?! Even the S is too big for me. I concluded that Calvin Klein only produced clothes for models which is why even the S is too big for me. Damn it. Sucks being a small asian kid! Anyway i bought a pair of pants and a wallet there. The wallet was going for less than 50 lah! In singapore, it will probably cost 100+!

Next stop, Abercrombie! So so exciting!!! But this one was a major disappointment. The guys section was like 20% of the store and they only sold some nice t shirts. It was like walking into an esprit store and having difficulty finding the men section. But anyway i couldn't resist it not buying an A&F shirt so i bought a pretty tight shirt which made me look so so slim. Muhahaha!

And before you know it, it was evening already. AND I HAVENT DONE MY MAIN AGENDA! I have to buy my macbook pro!!! This was a 3k+ transaction so the savings are close to 300 dollars! We rushed our way to the apple store and made it just on time. Chose my stuff and made the payment. Walked out of the store with a Macbook pro and a mighty mouse, AND my free Ipod Touch and Printer!!! And the amount i spent is less than the 3099 Apple singapore quote for a macbook pro. SAVE SAVE SAVE! Ok that just made me sound really aunty... macham at the shop & save advertisement. jian jian jian! I imagine myself smiling and xiang yun and her mother... OH did i mention i saw xiang yun and her family at Astons the other day? Her husband Edmund Chen is CHEAT. My god... he looks soooo young. When he was standing with his son, he look like a brother lah! He looks like he is under 30 with his pink complexion and slim and built body. CRAP! Isn't he like 70?! He has been on TV ever since Lee Kuan Yew cried on national TV during the malaysia singapore break up la! ok fine i exaggerate... but seriously... He is soooo cheat...

Again i digress... And after that we called it a day and drove back to Philly. By the time i reached home, it was close to midnight. And again, i totally knocked out till the next morning.

Just to sum up my day!

And say hello to my new macbook pro! The reason why im blogging right now!

Leaving on a jet plane

2008-08-21T11:11:00.004+08:00

On sunday night, i dragged my luggage into the airport and checked it in. Soon after, people started to crowd around me. I just want to thank everyone who came down to send me off. I realise changi airport is very very far away for most people so it really meant alot to me.

Unfortunately, we were unable to set a guiness record for most number of people crowding in T3 to send one person off. Just as we were trying to make more noise to seem more happening then some other gang, we looked to the corner to see about 100 people snuggling together to pray for one person. Psh... and we only had like a party of 20 at most? Failure... Sorry folks.

So anyway i can't believe i started tearing and actually broke into tears saying my farewells and giving my goodbye hug to everyone present. I was so sure i was going to be all excited and happy to leave Singapore. But for some weird reason, each time i hugged someone and said thanks and good bye, all my memories of that person just came flashing pass my head and the gratitude is just overwhelming. It was soooo malu when tears started to form and words started to get choked at my throat. It's like watching a movie in the cinema and when the sad scene come, you try to suppress your tears because you don't want the person sitting beside you to know you are crying.

But then again, i get teary easily. Sheesh i cried while playing final fantasy X because my dear yuna had to leave me. I even cried during Gundam Seed Destiny. Why exactly, i can't remember... too many robots being destroyed or something. OH and not to mention i actually teared when i saw my pink IC on my ORD date in the army. I remember i used to tell people its just a card lah... no big deal... its the freedom that mattters. But for some weird reason, when the card was given to me on my ORD day by some low ranking clerk, tears started to form in my eyes. It was like being stuck in a dark tunnel for 2 years and finally seeing light. The feeling is indescribable... And ever since, i have never looked back.

Digressing... Anyway my best friend Mr TAN QIAN JIN had to make a scene on that day. Had to make the whole thing so drama. You see, he was suppose to deliver me a CD. But on his way to the airport, he fell asleep. At the interchange, he rushed out of the train, forgetting about the cd that he left on the seat. Anyway he chased after the CD all the way to pasir ris before making his way back to the airport. And he said on the phone "YOU BETTER NOT LEAVE BEFORE I ARRIVE". My flight was at 1150pm. 1100. Not here. 1105. Calling. 1110. Still not here... 1115 He should be here by now... 1120. I see a mad man running at top speed across the airport and towards me. That mad man crashed into me and gave me a hug. This was after about 10 times of "derrick, im not kidding. ya going to be late for your flight. just go in now." So anyway, after that drama appearance, i rushed into the gate and to the plane. Thank God i made it on time.

Then the plane took off. OH YAH. Ok recently i have been talking to my friend about SIA girls. They told me the girls now really cannot make it. And OMG... so true... the woman serving my aisle... her hair was like a cone on top of her head and her face had so much make up on, it was hideous. Not to mention her voice was loud and shrieky! Everytime she came and said "orange juice?" or "tea or coffee?", i cringed. It didn't help that my stupid entertainment system was down.

Yes just my dumb luck. Why do bad things always happen to me? Its not like i do bad things... im a good person you know. If you look hard, you can actually see a halo hovering over my head. nod nod nod. So anyway initially i was assigned to sit in front of the plane but i didn't want to be sitting in the middle of 2 people so i moved my seat to the back of the plane where it was much more comfortable. Unfortunately, the last quarter of the plane could not get the entertainment system working so for the entire 12 hours ride from Singapore to Frankfurt, i had to force myself to sleep the entire journey. So so miserable. Especially when there is sooo many good movies available. And to compensate us, they gave us a 75usd voucher to do inflight shopping. I was like ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! JUST 75?! I paid almost 1k more to take Singapore airlines over Cathay Pacific and you give me 75 dollars to make up for that 1k?! I was hoping for a business class upgrade voucher but it didn't come... sigh... maybe i should make a big hooha... Oh well. On my flight back to singapore, i will be getting 2 free bottles of duty free alcohol then since i couldnt get to use my voucher as everyone used it before i could. Sucks sitting at the back of the plane...

Thank God the flight from Frankfurt to New York was alright. The entertainment system was repaired so i could watch my movies. But as you know, things are never nice for me. The indian guy sitting in front of me was TOTALLY DISGUSTING. He sneezed and had mucus hanging out of his nose. And he just threw in on the floor beside him. (history: we were both taking window seats but there was a space between the seat and the window. Big enough to put a bag) So for like half the journey, that disgusting glob of mucus was staring at me. It was totally gross. And he didn't bother cleaning it up. And the best part was that he actually took a pillow to cover it at the end of the flight. EWWWWW! Good luck to that CMI SIA girl...

So after being on the plane for about 20 hours, i continued my journey on a cab to a train station in manhattan to make my way to philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And finally, after about one and a half days of travelling, I arrived in Philly!

Here are some pics i took.

Me being lost in the train station in Manhattan, joining in the crowd to stare at that huge board. Apparently, we are waiting for the train to arrive.

Arriving at pretty philadelphia train station.

We headed straight for Chinatown. I got some fake chinese food. Singapore vermicilli noodles and thai pineapple rice. The Singapore noodles(i know.. there is no such thing in singapore...) was alright. Was just beehoon fried in tomato sauce. The pineapple fried rice was just plain fried rice in a pineapple. And we had roti prata too. But it was only alright... Forgive me for forgetting to bring my camera along.

Shopped for a phone and a phone plan. Then went shopping for my bed sheets and stuff before heading home. Loooong looong day. Havent slept for almost 24 hours. dead tired. Heading to Delaware tomorrow!

Under Construction

2008-08-17T15:33:00.002+08:00

Woohooo! It's time, people! I am finally leaving the sunny island of Singapore to pursue my American dream in Manhattan NEW YORK CITY! Stay tune as i blog my happenings in the states. Im sure you guys will enjoy the next phase of this blog as i bring you around the big apple and many other states in USA. I will touch down in US on Monday night so come back around wednesday (after i have shopped for my laptop) to check whether i survived the super duper long 23 hour flight to Frankfurt then JFK. So in the mean time, you guys have a great week ahead. I know i will! NEW YORK CITY, HERE I COME!

City Tour!

2008-07-03T22:51:00.003+08:00

For one day, we took a break from taiqi and chinese lessons to visit the city of Beijing. We got up early in the morning and headed to the Forbidden city.

Apparently, the forbidden city is the biggest and most well preserved imperial palace in the world. I was like isn't it the only imperial palace in the world? Anyway a tour guide was bringing us around and he was speaking in mandarin so we obviously didnt bother about the tour. Instead, we whipped out our cameras and started photowhoring. We took pictures of different poses and positions at every building we went to, which in my opinion, all look the same. Here are some fun shots we did.

We then head over to the Urban Planning Museum or whatever you call it, where they showed us how beijing city was structured and how they built up really cool buildings and the new airport for the olympics. Which brings me to the topic of how on earth are they going to clear the polution?! You guys should see the situation in Beijing... the place look so foggy, but its not fog! Its POLUTION! The air is so bad, i don't see how athletes are going to survive. I think if i run about 400 metres, i will start gacking. Another round and i will suffocate to death. And the photos they took to advertise the olympics like the new stadium? Blue skies? omg.. the power of photoshop... I won't be surprised if more people pull out from the games.

After dinner, we watched a kungfu show which was good in terms of the kungfu performance but horrible in terms of storyline. It was about a boy who joined the temple to learn kungfu. He became really strong and then took over the temple as the new abbot. End of story. I was like omg... you gota be kidding me... They should have skipped the story line and just show us the kungfu moves. I was trying really hard to stay awake because they kept playing this really soothing music which was really hypnotic. Not to mention we were beat from walking around the palace and the museum.

On our way back to the school, i was making fun of nikki(my new best friend) because she fell asleep during the show.

This was how the conversation went.
Nikki: The show was really good but i was just too tired... but i enjoyed it though. Just wish i could have stayed awake. Anyway, did the main character turn good again

Me: umm since when did the main character turn bad?

Nikki: He did! That's why the back drop was all red and stuff.

Rex(some guy from SMU): No he didn't...

(silence for 2 seconds)

And we all burst into laughter. We laughed so hard, the entire bus was staring at us. Nikki... Fact number one about her: She is pretty blur... she is a blonde stuck in an asean body...

So anyway, the centre of Beijing City is really boring... Its just that palace and a few restaurants... like a FEW. I thought it would be like filled with restaurants and cafes and starbucks. It was sooo boring. So disappointed with Beijing.

It aint bad after all

2008-07-02T22:08:00.004+08:00

I know many of you have been praying for me. Like "Oh God, please prevent derrick from killing himself in Beijing." or "May he be able to survive in the land of chinese." Thank you so much for your prayers, but guess what? Im doing really really well here.

You heard me right. I am totally enjoying my time here. Ever since i got to the school on sunday, i have made about 20 new friends from all over the world. There are people from the states, Hongkong, Indonesia, France and even Singapore. And we are having a great time together, whether it is exploring to the place to find good food to eat or enduring the chinese classes together. And these people are smart people... like real smart...

For example, im rooming with a korean guy from PRINCETON. In case you don't know, princeton is just the best university in the world. No big deal. And he is pretty cool.

And there is another girl heading to Columbia University this fall. oh well... at least they know about nyu stern...

Oh and i made a new best friend. Her name is Nikki and she is from Georgia, USA. We totally click since day one.

The course has been really fun so far. On day one, we were given a test to determine how good we were in chinese. We had to say out loud the chinese alphabet thingy, whatever its called, and read some words and sentences. Obviously i didn't do too well with my chinese garnish with a lil american accent. You see, i cant really speak chinese well, but my vocab and writing is pretty good, if i may say so myself.

Chinese lessons were not very fun though... The first lesson was about the history and culture of China. For 3 hours, the professor droned on about the dynasties that existed in china for the last 4000 years, and giving a little detail for each dynasty. He then went on about the culture and the literature and stuff. Honestly, i wasn't really listening. I was trying to fight the Z monster the entire time. I have zero interest in History, let alone CHINA history. Not to mention he was speaking in english so he pronounced words like "darn-nasty" and i couldn't really understand him half the time.

Then we had our actual lesson. Our teacher is creepy... It's this old dude who has PERFECT pitch and tone for every word. He is so perfect, he sounds like the guy who reads to us the text for our listening comprehension in national exams. And he is so strict... he demands we all pronounce our words perfectly and he will keep making us say the word until we get it right. Not to mention we had to do TONGUE TWISTERS... omg... si shi si shi bu shi si ma...

On some mornings, we have shadow boxing lessons aka taiqi. When i first saw the programme of the course and saw shadow boxing, i was like omg... you got to be kidding me... I knew i was just going to burst out laughing the moment we start. And i was not wrong... i couldn't help myself... i had to try really hard to suppress my laughter. And after 5 minutes, i got myself together and decided to get into it. And you know what, it wasn't that bad. It was actually pretty interesting if you visualise yourself doing some kungfu moves. In the end, we all really had fun.

Just thinking about the last few days, i realised something. China/Beijing isn't exactly a great place. Singapore is much more fun... and Tsinghua university isn't that impressive looking. It look somewhat like NUS. But the company i have has made the time really really fun. And i am truly enjoying myself. This is kinda like a sneak preview into college life, and im loving it. I can't wait to get to NYU Stern in end August. I am so going to have a great time in New York City.

quick update

2008-07-02T00:42:00.003+08:00

ok its pretty late and i have to wake up at an insane time of 730am tomorrow so we can go for some city tour at 8am so im going to just give you guys a quick update before updating tomorrow when i get more time.

I reached Tsing Hua University in Beijing safely. ITS BEIJING. That's to Calyn who has got it wrong for the 100th time. I think she is trying to get back at me for purposely calling her name wrongly all the time.

Chinese lessons have started and they aren't exactly fun at all... I had my first Taiqi lesson this morning... TAIQI... will talk more abt it on the next post. The food is terrible compared to Singapore. Everything is like flooded in oil and they don't exactly taste good even with that much oil.

Oh well but overall, im seriously having a great time here. The people im studying chinese with are so much fun to be around sooooo... will tell you guys more tmr!

Beijing here i come

2008-06-28T23:47:00.002+08:00

Well i am currently in a hotel in Beijing. It's BEIJING, not SHANGHAI. For some weird reason, everyone has been asking me "when are you heading to shanghai?" SERIOUSLY! At which point in the last 6 months did i mention Shanghai?

Anyway, I can't believe im still alive. For those who know me, you are probably wondering: What the hell is derrick doing in China?! Yes i know... China is probably the last place you will expect to find me. Ever since my secondary 3 trip to the Yunnan area of China, i have been traumatise so badly i remember telling myself i will never go back to China. Those were the days i was forced to eat rice with black stuff on them, steam bacon, weird black hair looking stuff in soup which my friend said and i quote "smells like death". The toilets were terrible and it was a pretty sucky 2 weeks if it wasn't for my classmates. Because of them, i got to experience food fights and other funny memories. Like when we were about to alight the coach to go up this famous snow-capped mountain at Lijiang, our tour guide came in and told us that there has been a accident recently so the mountain will be close for the day. Apparently a cable car fell. She then told us cheerfully that we can go up the next day. You should have seen our faces...

So i woke up early this morning to take a flight to Hongkong and transit to Beijing. The trip was rather interesting. I got to witness this aussie guy fight a china guy. Apparently the china guy was pissed that the aussie kept banging into him with his bag while they were waiting to leave the plane. The aussie denied it and they started quarreling. At one point, the aussie pushed the china guy away, shouting "Don't touch me!" I was chanting in my head "Fight Fight Fight". Was kinda hoping the aussie guy will punch the china man... airport drama... hehe

Anyway Thank God i reached the hotel safely. My sister was going on about how crappy the hotels are in china and how ill-informed the cab drivers are about hotels. Was kinda worried when the cab driver kept turning his head to the right to look at my direction. Then i realise he was looking at his side mirror to make amazing lane changes. He then spent the next half of the journey scolding me for choosing a hotel so far away from the city. How am i suppose to know?! I thought the hotel was near the university, which he claims isn't. And now im in my comfortable hotel room watching channel V. Shall head over to Tsing Hua University for my 2 weeks summer school tomorrow! Head back here for the Beta version of my New York Adventure, except this time its Beijing!

opps + happening

2008-06-26T00:47:00.002+08:00

Haha so apparently i can't keep my promise about blogging regularly... oh man... i hope this doesn't happen for your sake and my sake when i get to new york. I don't want thousands of people asking me the same question every day when i get there, the question being "so... how are you doing there?". It's like you know that the answer that is going to return to you is "fine." or "great!" but you secretly wish that i would say "horrible..." because you still can't get over the fact that Im in the most happening city in the world and you are still stuck on the hot island of Singapore. HAH! Ok kidding...

Talking about happening. I just watched the M Night Shayamalam's THE HAPPENING. (Is that how its spelt? oh well don't care. thats how i call him) And seriously, because of that movie, i had such a happening day. Well you see, i was at NUS playing tennis with some friends. YES TENNIS. I can actually play some sports... may not be good in it but at least i can hit the ball to the other side of the court.

SO ANYWAY. After tennis, we had some spare time and i wanted to watch the happening desperately. I am a fan of M Night. I absolutely loved Sixth Sense and enjoyed his other productions such as Signs and the Village. I mean who didn't?! Who can ever forget the "I see dead people..." or the green looking alien thingy that walked pass the bush and the girl complaining "Im thirsty..." or the ugly brown spiky werewolf wearing little red riding hood's costume and the blind girl running for her life. I missed Lady in the Water which was apparently HORRIBLE so i pretended he was never part of that movie.

So we decided that we had to catch the 3pm show at Vivo in order for everything to work out right. However it was already 220pm and we were still at NUS. We knew we could make it but we had to rush. And when i say could make it, i mean travel to my friend's place near vivo to shower and change, rush back to the bus stop to bus down to vivo, rush to the box office to buy tickets and reach our seats just before the movie starts.

The bus finally came at 225pm. The bus reached my friend's place at 240pm. We rushed out and ran to his house. Once we got in, we immediately sprinted to the rooms we pre-assigned in the bus to shower in. In no more than 5 minutes, we were all done and gathered in the living room. We grabbed our things and dashed out of the house back to the bus stop. A girl friend of mine was still drying her hair with her towel and applying gel as we were brisk walking to the bus stop. Reached the bus stop and boarded the bus at 255. Arrived at the bus stop across vivo at 3pm. Again we dashed out, ran across the underpass passing by the NEL station, zoomed past the crowds and bought the tickets and got ourselves seated. 315pm. We made it. Trailers were showing and i was sweating profusely. Made me wonder why i even bothered to shower.

And then i suddenly thought... should we get a drink? I mean the movie haven't started. So i pitched the idea to my friend and we were like since the store is just outside the cinema, why not? So we ran out and realised the booth was closed! So we rushed down to the box office and queued behind a couple. Just our luck. The couple took FOREVER. "Honey, what should we get? Peanuts or popcorn? What drink do you want? Should we get all sweet? Buts sweet is too sweet! We should get a bit of salty to balance things out. But I hate salty! Salty is too salty!" Ok i am exaggerating but they seriously took a loooong time. I rolled my eyes at least 3 times.

When we finally got our drink, we dashed back into the cinema and was pretty sure the movie had started. But to our surprise, advertisements were still on. GV totally amazed me.

So anyway the movie started and lasted 1.5 hours. To me, it felt like a 4 hour movie... i was like.. could this get anymore boring. When i read the sypnosis on yahoo, it was:

"The Happening" is a paranoid thriller about a teacher, Elliott Moore (Mark Wahlberg), who takes his family on the run, in an attempt to survive a natural global environmental crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity. This film portrays the earth as being a victim of mankind's doings, which causes a global backlash. An invisible neurotoxin is admitted into the air that causes people to become suicidal.

M Night has always been famous for his ability to make twists in his plots and surprise his audience. Like i was totally stunned when Bruce Willis turned out to be a ghost in sixth sense. (Opps did i just spoil it for those who haven't watched sixth sense? Is there anyone that actually still fall in this category...) The Happening was totally what the sypnosis said. Nothing more. Nothing less. It was just a movie about people committing suicide. Nothing unexpected. Nothing surprising.

It was like watching "101 ways to kill yourself". You can jump down a building, hang yourself, ram your head against the wall, get run over by a lawn mower, cut your wrist with a glass piece, crash your car into a tree. I have watched enough teenage dramas to know all these techniques of committing suicide. Ok fine the getting run over by the lawn mower was new but besides that, NOTHING! And i have to say, The Happening was not happening for me at all. I was utterly disappointed and embarrassed for making my friends watch this crappy movie with me. M Night who was hailed as the next steven spielberg is probably not going to see another of his movie making to the big screens... Oh well... at least the process of getting to "The Happening" was happening...

Update Needed

2008-06-05T00:00:00.004+08:00

Ok fine. An update is needed... i have been lazy. Hehe... But this just means that i will be posting more interesting stuff for the next few posts because soooo many things have happened since my last post which was like a million years ago for some of you who check here daily :P. I know... Im flattering myself to think i have many loyal fans.

Lets get started! As many of you know, i went to Kota Kinabalu about more than a week ago. It's part of malaysia. The borneo islands. In Sabah. Where is that geographically on the map, I have no idea. I have zero interesting in anything malaysian, especially their politics. Don't get me started on how stupid i think their politics are.

So anyway my friend, Jiehui, signed me up for the climb up Mount Kinabalu. Of course i was horrified when i found out. By the time i could say anything, the booking had been done. It was a climb! I had to like do something physical! I wanted to kill jiehui but thought i would give it a try. After all, how hard can it be right?

Well... I WAS SO WRONG! I had no idea that bloody mountain was the fourth tallest mountain in South East Asia. The tallest in Malaysia(who cares...). And from now on, it will be refered to as BA(short form for bloody mountain). The mention of the mountain's name gives me the chills. It was the 2nd worst experience of my life, just behind my 13 weeks on the God-forsaken island of Pulau Tekong where i experienced hell.

How bad was it? Well firstly, at 9am, we started our journey towards the peak. We walked for about 6 hours before reaching the supposedly 3/4 mark. That part wasnt so bad. Was just plenty of rocks and high stairs. Then we had our dinner and went to sleep. Or at least that's what we thought everyone was doing. I couldn't sleep at all and spent the whole night envying the person snoring away. It was only at 2am when we had to wake up to continue our climb(YES 2AM! It's not a typo) did we realise that everyone else couldn't sleep too.

We ate a little breakfast and started our night climb. It was pretty dark so we had to carry our torches. And this time, it was bad... Firstly it was a little cold. To me it was fine since im cold blooded but i know some people were freezing. Secondly, it was steeper this time. There wasn't stairs and we had to like use ropes to pull ourselves up the slope. It was horrible... Then the higher we got, the thinner the air became. I found myself stopping to take a deep breathe every 5 steps. Not to mention we can never see the peak...

Then suddenly our mountain guide made an announcement. "You have 45 minutes to make it to the peak to see the sunrise! Or not you will have no choice but to turn back immediately because we are running late on time." To many, it was "The sunrise! I can't miss it!" To me, it was "I PAID 300 over bucks for this! I better make it to the top. Who cares about the stupid sunrise!" Apparently i wasn't alone. I met someone along the way (some tourist) who i encouraged to reach the peak to see the sunrise and she replied and i quote "Sunrise can go kiss my ass!" I couldn't have put it in a better way.

So i started motivating myself. I found myself saying "I will not get defeated! I will not get defeated!" With that, I pulled myself together and climb up to the peak. And i tell you... i seriously made it to the peak. I have proof!

Yup thats me on the top with the sign that says so. 4 KM above sea level. And yes i know... i was having a bad hair day... whatever... what do you expect me to look like after climbing for 4 hours in the cold dark environment...

So at 6plus am, the sunrise started. The "sunrise you can kiss my ass" sunrise. This was it.

The ang mohs were screaming "It's coming! It's coming!" I was thinking "i woke up at 2am to see this?! psh... isn't this what you get at east coast park?!" As you can see, im not a nature person. Sheesh im going to NYU for a reason! I love the city! If there was an audi R8 parked on top of the mountain, i would be more fascinated by that than the sunrise!

And then someone shouted "OK we have to go down now!" It was then reality hit me... The ordeal wasn't over... it was far from over...

A weekend vacation

2008-05-14T21:21:00.002+08:00

Yes i haven't blogged the last few days because i was on vacation. I didn't go overseas. My mum on the other hand did so i had the whole house and car for the last 5 days, and that my friend, is a vacation to me.

I could leave the lights and aircon on without being scolded. I could take my time to do my laundry. I could sleep and wake up at anytime without being disturbed. I could cook without needing to clean the place immediately. I could invite friends over for a stayover without asking for permission. And according to Joey from Friends, i could walk around the house naked. But best of all, i could use the car anytime i wanted to! But that is all "COULD". Past tense...

Anyway, having the car made life so much more enjoyable. Suddenly, everywhere is near. The day of 24 hours suddenly seem longer, allowing me to enjoy more. Like my friends were suppose to meet at Clementi MRT station at 330pm to play badminton at the sports complex. I left my house at 345pm and still made it on time to start playing with them.

But thats all over now... My mum is back from Hainan Dao, the one place she doesn't complain about. She loves the weather there. She loves the food there. She loves the people. Feel like shipping her off in a box to hainan dao. Will make an appointment with Fedex one of these days... Kidding kidding.

The land of a thousand smiles

2008-05-05T23:49:00.004+08:00

The budget airplane arrived at the Bangkok airport successfully. Don't ask me how was the flight. I took a bottle and hit myself on the head real hard to knock myself out for the 2 hours. I didn't want to have the constant fear of the check-in lady flying the plane in the dark in my head...

Anyway Thailand was an interesting place. Despite being further away from the equator compared to Singapore, it's hotter and much more humid. The moment i stepped out of the airport, i started sweating and feeling all sticky.

Everything is dirt cheap there. EVERYTHING. Each meal cost me less than S$1.50. But the portion is rather small. It was then i realised that majority of Thais are like slim and fit. You will hardly find a fat Thai. The only one i found was my snorkelling tour guide. I think he hangs out in the water too much till he became bloated.

And they have fantastic translators in Thailand. Seriously. How they manage to translate all their signs just amazes me.

The first one i encountered was in a toilet of Khon Khean University. A UNIVERSITY. It read "Keep Cleaning" like this.

I happened to be at a urinal when i first saw the sign flashing in front of me. The first thing that came to my mind was ... Excuse me? Keep cleaning my aaaa... ok... that's ummm a good reminder of personal hygiene. But when i walked out after washing my hands(the sign was still haunting me), i realised the sign was everywhere in the canteen! Then i understood what it meant! It is to encourage their janitors! I was like wow! They are so considerate! They know that these cleaners have a hard time so they put up these signs to encourage them on. Like how dory from finding nemo sang "just keep swimming, keep swimming". The cleaners probably go around the school singing "just keep cleaning, keep cleaning" No wonder the school is rather clean. They have highly motivated cleaners!

Then when i was at a resort checking out the pool, i was met by this sign.

Ok... So I can take bikinis only... Question one: where are the bikinis? And Question two: Are they like free? Then Question three:What if im not a pervert and would like to wear trunks? Is it like Ben & Jerry's where everyone is entitled to take one free cone only on free cone day? No sundaes. Just cones. Hmmm at least they have bikinis... better than nothing... But i don't think i will be trying them on...

I do believe i met alot more than these 2. But i can't remember... what's new... For those of you who don't know me, i got the memory of a goldfish. You can tell me your name and i will forget it within the next 5 minutes. 2 if its a chinese name. I didn't bring a camera and my phone was out of batt so i couldn't take any photos, or not i will have alot more to share. Sigh... Oh well.

The budget terminal

2008-05-04T22:52:00.003+08:00

The moment a foreigner touch down on Singapore on a plane, many things will strike them. These things will create the first impressions.

You step out of the plane to meet a sudden rush of warm and humid air. To foreigners, its "Woohoo! The tropics! Time for the pool!". To locals, its "omg.. why isn't this place air conditioned?!"

You step into the airport. To foreigners, its "Wow... This airport is gorgeous... Take photos!". To locals, its "Why are we so darn far from the customs?! Move quick! I don't want to queue!"

You got through the customs smoothly, grabbed your bags and head towards the arrival hall. To foreigners, its "Wow there are so many signs. Finding our way out should be easy." To locals, its "Hey! Thanks for coming! Ok lets not talk here. Im starving! Changi Village! My treat!"

As the foreigner looks at the signs... "Hmm taxi to the right... Sky train to Terminal two to the left... Shuttle service to Budget terminal to the left... Wait a minute! Budget terminal?! What's that?! Sounds so cheap! You mean they have a terminal for like poor people? Isn't that like class discrimination?"

If you ask me, it's a total embarrassment. I know the terminal has been around for some time. In fact i have been making fun of its name for a looong time. But it only hit me when i actually travelled there for the first time to take a budget airline, Tiger airways, to Bangkok. I know most of you are probably thinking "Derrick on a budget airline?! Haha that's gotta be a joke."

Well it isn't... I actually took Valuair to HK before and enjoyed it. But then they served food and water and it was at Terminal one. I had to walk like 5km to reach the gate from the check in point since they always give budget airlines the last gate, and one case i even had to run as i overslept(whats new). The run was like being on amazing race. So so fun.

ANYWAY, i was totally shocked as i made my way to the budget terminal. Firstly, the road to the terminal was weird. I had to circle and turn around, trying desperately to follow the road signs. Not to mention i had to argue with my mother that Terminal 3 is not the budget terminal. Then, just as i started to panic thinking that im lost, im greeted by this hideous looking sign thing. I think its so hideous, no one dares to post it on the web because i can't seem to find it on google. Anyway it was a structure spelling out "THE BUDGET TERMINAL" in this font.

Sheesh! Did they have to make it so... bubbly?! Its so unprofessional... and cheap looking... Are they seriously trying to emphasize its a BUDGET terminal?

And the most devastating part of the entire budget terminal experience was... Is it me or is the lady collecting my boarding pass now the same lady who checked in my luggage at the check in counter... Wow... its really budget in here. There isn't even enough manpower... I wouldn't be surprise if she put on a cap and board the plane and holler over the PA system, "Good evening, this is your captain speaking. You all should have met me along the way. I'm the person who checked in your luggage, collected your boarding pass, and am now flying the plane. Once the plane has taken off, i will be coming down the aisle to sell some food and drinks."

The budget terminal. Seriously.

Pre Thailand

2008-05-04T00:06:00.003+08:00

Before i flew off to thailand, i had a 3 day retreat at my sister's house. A retreat from my mum. hehehe. Anyway i moved to my sister's house to babysit. Not my niece... my sister is smart enough to know i cant take care of her baby for 5 minutes, let alone 3 days. I had to babysit her 2 dogs, which in my opinion is just like only one level harder. Of course i didn't know then, since i havent taken care of them for quite some time. And my bro in law has no problems with that. He is still wishing one of the 2 will mysteriously disappear.

So anyway those 2 dogs are maltese. Those cute small white furry dogs... Think you got the picture. Anyway they may seem cute and adorable... BUT THEY AREN'T.

Firstly, they are supposedly toilet trained. BUT THEY AREN'T. They peed all over the place. EVERYWHERE! This reminds me of a video i watched about matt damon.

"On the bed. On the floor. On the towel by the door. In a tub. In a car. Up against a mini bar."

My version would have been "On the couch. On the floor. On the bag by the wall. In the kitchen. In the toilet. Up against a baby cot." ARGH!!! That's how bad it was. Apparently they pee all over the place to show that they are angry that my sister has abandoned them.

You are probably thinking, Angry?! Dogs have emotions?! Well that brings me to my second point. These dogs are like humans trapped in dogs' bodies. It's totally scary. They seem to understand when we are talking about them. They go all emo when we say something bad about them. Especially one of them by the name of Teeger. He is the smaller and supposedly cuter one. However, if you really know him, he is not cute at all. He is a drama queen. He will scream like crazy if you carry him the wrong way. He gets jealous when you play with the other dog first. He goes suicidal by walking on the edge of the couch if you ignore him. And when my sister is not around, he will seek attention by 'clawing' you so that you will sayang him but the moment my sister returns, you become a stranger to him. In fact we once had a maid who was very scared of him. She claimed that he was too human-like, it was creepy.

Anyway by the time my sis got back from her bintan trip(or was it batam...), i was so so happy to hand over the dogs. I was kinda sick of cleaning up pee pools every 4 hours. And a day later, i was off to the airport to leave for Thailand. The amazing "budget terminal". But that's another story.

MIA

2008-05-01T01:57:00.003+08:00

Sheesh has it been 2 weeks since i MIAed? Anyway for those of you who are wondering where i disappeared to, i have been in Thailand for the past week. I had no internet and handphone access. Shut off from the world. And it was G R E A T. Apparently i love isolation. Big surprise right?

Actually i got back on sat, but i was still in the relax by the beach and laze in the resort mood. In fact, in the past few days, i haven't been able to accomplish much. Think i only managed to sms a friend a birthday greeting and thats about it... And the only reason why i actually decided to blog something today is because a friend of mine known as Shanrui who works in a school with the coolest name ever made a comment that im funny so that made me all happy so im blogging again to entertain you guys. The school is changkat changi... or is it chong cat changi... whatever it is, its a tongue twister. They probably spend day one of the sec one orientation learning how to pronounce the school name. "ok kids. The first person who can say the school name 10 times consecutively without making an error will get a chocolate!"

Oh and i actually watched ironman last night. It was... alright. Actually i think because im no ironman fan and didnt have much expectations. I guess it was good.. i mean i can't make any negative comments about it... which is rare... soooo yah watch it if ya got nothing to do. I can't wait to watch the remake of Hulk though. The trailer looks so nice!

Btw in case anyone is wondering, my diet plan is soooo working. So many people have come up to me and told me i lost weight! Whoot! Hopefully the half of can of pringles and 2 packets of chachos(i have no idea what it is.. is it some pirated nachos? but the cheddar cheese one taste so so so good) which i ate in the last 2 days wont inflate me... psh time to go running...

And do visit this webby in the next few days and tag some 'hi's to me. Maybe say im funny again. hehe... i need encouragement... haha. Anyway i got some great material i can't wait to blog. I mean i was in Thailand! The land of a thousand smiles and marvelous translators! And before that i had to babysit my sister's insane and crazy dogs. Not to mention my drama queen niece.

Stay tuned!

Idol Curse

2008-04-13T21:00:00.003+08:00

For some weird reason, this season's American Idol(AI) is not going my way at all. I don't really follow AI that much ever since the season of Fantasia, which was a loooong time ago, but because star world apparently paid a lot to broadcast AI this season, they show it almost everyday, the same episode about 3 times a day. There was even once they showed the same episode consecutively! Ridiculous...

Anyway back to the story. I am seriously cursed this season. All the people that i was rooting for, have all been eliminated even before the top 6! So i have decided to not root for anyone, just in case my favourite get kicked out again. Psh...

First it was that cool black girl with the husky voice called Asia or something. I thought her voice was totally unique and powerful, and not to mention her name is so interesting. It's a continent! But she got eliminated like immediately. Total bummer.

Then it was that philipino girl. She is cute and pretty. Look a lot like the hi-five asian girl who got knocked up and left the show for a while. Feelings go up yeeah Feelings do down woooo... Ok i don't watch hi five btw. Seriously. I don't watch it. So anyway, i thought she would be able to pull off a jasmine trias. Don't know whether you guz can still remember that cute hawaiian girl who managed to make it so far because of her cute innocent look. She even cried on national TV and got all the men in america calling in to stop her from crying, allowing her to stay in the competition.

And finally, there was Michael who just got eliminated and was hailed as one of the most shocking elimination ever in idol history. I really thought that he deserve to win. He was so so so good. And he looks like a james blunt who goes to gym and sound more manly than james blunt. Did i mention that i love james blunt? Michael always gave a great performance. He never fails to impress me. Too bad he is gone.

And now the remaining 7... I guess most people hope that David guy will win. The one that looks so young and innocent. The one that has a goodie 2 shoes look. His voice and smile melts all the hearts of girls, aunties and grannies. He just look too innocent already. He makes the wholesome Carrie Underwo0od look like a slutty whore. Ok that was a bit of exageration. But you get my drift. And he so doesn't look like an american idol. If he wins, he is going to be like that old man who won. That tyler guy. I bet everyone forgot he actually won the title.

And i just realised something. The only people from idol who actually managed to stay in the music industry are the people who kept their figure or became slimmer, eg carrie and kelly. Those who turned fat were eliminated, eg fantasia and clay. Looks like jordin is going to disappear soon. That girl is inflating like a balloon. During the idol gives back show, she wore this body tight black dress which was suppose to give a slimming effect. I thought there was going to be another case of janet jackson "closet malfunction". I was expecting the dress to give way to her huge body. Ok that would have been a horrible sight... Oh no... i tried to imagine it... now i can't get it out...

Facebook

2008-04-10T15:35:00.002+08:00

Yesterday, i was so bored that i decided to surf on facebook. And seriously, the guy who invented facebook is a genius! Pure genius! Because of facebook, i can actually make friends with my future school mates even before getting to the school!

I finally found out how to join the NYU network and groups. I may look computer savvy but actually all i can do it surf the net and blog. :P And i was so bored that i decided to do some facebook stalking! The thing about facebook is that you put so much stuff on it, people can get a first impression of you without even meeting you.

So i searched for singaporeans who are heading to nyu stern with me. And i found this guy called Benjamin Lim i think. Scrolled through his profile. Look at some of his pics. And just by that i realised that his good friend went to NY earlier, he got fat/stocky in the army process because he looked so much better in his HCJC days (he used to look pretty cool and happening, now he looks like guofeng), and he is super garung about going to nyu because he already bought his air ticket and is an active contributor on the nyu incoming freshman group. All this by reading his wall and scanning his photos. Haha... i know... its stalking and intruding into people's privacy. I was that bored.

Haha i think i'm really super KPO. Reading other people's wall to wall conversation. But i got a reason! Im checking whether people are talking bad about me! Like my sister who was bitching to a friend about somebody who was also on her friend list. She had no idea that people could read her wall and would be notified through the facebook newsfeed. She was devastated when i told her the whole world could read it, especially if her friend is as nosey as me.

The wonders of facebook... Now to do research on that RJC girl heading to nyu stern too...

School Pride

2008-04-08T23:33:00.002+08:00

I realise time really flies when ya jobless! Is it tuesday already? Goodness...

Anyway this post is for all of you who wear your school shirts with pride. Like people from St Andrew's(once a saint, always a saint... There is seriously nothing saintly about the SA people I know...) and Catholic JC(apparently they don't really like their school. Its just that their shirts are really comfortable.). And i know that every single ACS boy/girl is proud to wear his/her school shirt. Even if its the imitation of the US college A C J C shirt. Or their orientation shirt. Any shirt with the ACS logo on it should be worn with pride.

Therefore, please make sure these shirts do not get out to the public! I am not saying don't wear it out into the public. Im saying don't let some CHINA man wear it!

The other day i boarded the bus to see someone wearing an ACJC Hockey college shirt. I scanned the guy. Look like in the 50s. China look. Wearing construction safety boots. Dirty pants. ARGH!!! HOW ON EARTH DID THAT GUY GET HOLD OF THE SHIRT! He has turned the ACS shirt into a GIODARNO shirt!!! It was soooooooo insulting. Yes i may not be from ACJC, but still! It had our emblem on it! The griffon-like creature has become a chinese dragon! Faint...

And that wasn't the end of it. When the bus was reaching my stop, i stood at the door to wait for the door to open. That guy tried to get pass me by pushing me away and wiggling his hand in front of me to tap his ezlink card. I was like hellooo... im obviously getting out too! So i turned around and gave a fake smile and said "im getting out too." He backed off.

When we got off the bus, everything was confirmed. He started talking to his other china friend in that china accent and was talking soooo loud. It was seriously the most unsightly thing! What if someone thought ACS boys are like that?!

Just to clear that: We aren't like those china people. We are NOTHING like them. We happen to be gentlemen who are smart and goodlooking. nodnodnod.

What a fantastic week!

2008-04-04T23:08:00.003+08:00

As you most of you know, i have been jobless and i am sooooo loving it. I can imagine my retirement days already. Whoot! So far whatever i planned to do, i did it.

1) I woke up at around 11am everyday. The feeling is.... every day is a good day feeling. haha... Compared to those days in army when i had to wake up at 530am!!! Looking back... Puke blood.

2) I exercised everyday. Yup EVERYDAY! Like at least 10 push ups and 10 sit ups. hahaha! That's a big achievement already!

3) I didn't watch Oprah and Ellen everyday though... Watching animes were more attractive. Finished Fate Stay Night in 2 days. Decent anime.

4) But i didnt get to sun tan AT ALL. Apparently the weather hates me. Everytime i go out to sun tan, the sky become all cloudy! WORST, the other day i sat there for like 2 minutes and it started to pour cats and dogs. Psh... Then i thought i could go gym but my stupid condo keeps the gym key at the guard house and the guard house is like in the rain so i didn't bother getting the key. Didn't want to get my shoes wet. My precious Asics shoes...

The bad thing about this is that i get lazy to do everything else. I don't read the papers now... I don't blog often... In fact, i went out only a few times because i was just too lazy to leave the comfort of my home. Oh.. the pleasures of being jobless. You have to experience it for yourself to believe how good it is.

Verse of the day:
Taste and see that unemployment is good! -Derrick 1:2

Derrick 1:1 being: Life is good! If you live it Derrick's way.

Oh oh and in the few occasion that i actually left my house, 2 people commented that I'm funny! That totally made my day.

the devil's advocates

2008-04-01T21:29:00.003+08:00

Woe to you! Those who try to tempt me to stray away from the path of dieting! There are many of you out there who apparently think im joking about dieting! Im DEAD SERIOUS about it!

Reason 1:
In 3 weeks time, i will be heading to thailand and i plan to go snorkelling and sun tan on the beach. This would mean i will have to take my shirt off, and i happen to be a very considerate person. I don't want people around me disgusted by my flabbiness. I don't want them to lose their appetite because they see some fats jiggling around in the sun. I will not let that happen! I know its abit far fetch to expect abs in 3 weeks but i don't plan to make people lose their appetite because they feel depress after looking at the six packs... wish i could though. hehehe...

Reason 2:
In 4 months time, i will be flying to new york to start my tertiary education in NYU. I don't know whether you realise this or not, but we asians are not exactly the best looking race in the world. Our faces are flat, as if we all got punched in the face by our gynae when we emerged from our mother's womb. We get fat easily. (not everyone but i do!) We are short. (Except for yaoming) We have black hair and eyes which is rather boring. There are a few exceptions like andy lau and maggie q and lucy lui but in general, you gotta admit, we are not good looking. (I want to say we are ugly but that just sounds too depressing)

Look at the ang mohs! They have sharp features. They got great hair color, which ranges from blonde to ash brown. Their eyes are colored, like blue or green. And they look good with their colored eyes. Try it on an asian. It's just wrong. It looks demonic. And for some weird reason, those who keep their bodies fit have really good bodies, unlike asians whose body don't really look that fantastic even when its toned.

So anyway when school starts, i gotta make a good first impression. And remember, im up against these ang mohs whose gene's are superior to us in terms of looks. I have to compete against people like the football jocks! People you see from the cast of smallville! Eish... And i don't want the girls to go:
"Eww check out that fat asian kid! Haha! He has no friends! Oh wait he has the book worm club to befriend with! Hahaha!"

This must not happen.

Instead, they should be saying:
"Hey girl friend! Have you met Derrick? He is dead hilarious! And oh my god... isn't he like the cutest asian eveeeer!!"

Reason 3:
I don't want to die of heart attack early. And this is the most important reason. Really. The most important reason. I want to stay healthy. Yup. Nod nod. Ok fine... I couldn't think of another reason and there must always be 3 points to an argument... It just sounds better with 3. Not 2, not 4, but 3. Live longer. nodnodnod.

Sooo stop discouraging me! Stop tempting me to eat all those fatty food or super sweet stuff! Like encourage me to eat salad or something. Must lose the stupid fat on me!

fired!

2008-03-28T14:14:00.003+08:00

"Derrick! Come into my office!"

"Yes boss!" I walked briskly from my table into a room just for the boss. His table was messy, scattered with books and papers. A mere facade. On top of it all was an open newspaper. Why am i not surprise.

"Boss, you called?"

"Yes. What have you been doing lately?"

"Well nothing much... people around aren't giving me much work so i'm taking the time to read the SGX listing manual and things about the market." When i say "arent giving me much work", i actually mean "aren't giving me any work at all."

"Hmm... Alright. In that case, you're fired! You are no longer of any use to us. You don't even make us coffee. Tomorrow will be your last day."

I stood there, stunned by the news. I just got fired...

Okokok i know.. its too drama to be real. Wanted to make it sound more exciting... so anyway what actually happened was that the secretary came up to me and whispered to me, "Hey derrick, boss say tomorrow your last day. Pass me the time sheet so you can get your pay. Thanks so much for helping us out." That was it. The whisper that made me jobless.

Actually i was expecting it to come already. If they weren't firing me, i was going to quit myself. There was really nothing for me to do. Everyday i report to work to surf the net and go for lunch. And im paid to do this. Not bad ah... hehe... i feel abit guilty from eating into their year end bonus but oh well!

So im unemployed again. Back to enjoying DA LIFE! Sleep late. Wake up late. Watch Oprah and Ellen. Exercise/Gyming.(new programme added in to reach target weight before leaving for NY) Sun tan to get rid of the name "white boiled chicken". Free dinner at sis place. Hong Kong serials. Dota. Sleep late. And the cycle goes on and on and on. This is DA LIFE!

But then again, i dun grow money tree so im back to looking for a job... sigh... anyone got an offer poor me?

Shutter review

2008-03-25T22:19:00.003+08:00

Remember that really creepy thai film 'shutter' which everyone was raving about? I didn't manage to catch it... my bad... but recently i found out that hollywood was doing a remake and its going to be in the cinemas soon. And i happened to stumble across this HILARIOUS remark on the movie.

"The main problem is that they spelled the title wrong. The first vowel should be an I."

Hahaha... that totally cracked me up.

Original, extra crispy or grilled?

2008-03-25T17:02:00.002+08:00

Kudos to KFC in US! They are trying out their new grilled chicken in certain cities, hoping to attract the health conscious people. What a great idea! I hope they will come to Singapore soon! Yah yah so what if they are called kentucky FRIED chicken? It's not like they are taking away the fried chicken from their menu.

Anyway, I'm sick of feeling immensely guilty after ripping off a chunk of an extra crispy chicken thigh that is overflowing with juice with the skin still on. Honestly! I hate going to KFC. But for some reason, all my friends LOVE to! Friends who happen to be slim and lean and eat alot and yet not get fat. People who are blessed by God with amazing metabolism rate. I, on the other hand, have come to a conclusion that God is unfair. There is just no other reason to why i eat less than them and yet GAIN WEIGHT! It's seriously depressing... I feel like i have been cursed by God...

So the addition of the grilled chicken will be absolutely fantastic. I can hang out with my friends in KFC without feeling like i have just committed adultery after indulging in a meal there. The next thing they should do is introduce DIET COKE. They should scrap the crappy tasting pepsi and put in diet coke. So what if diet coke is filled with chemicals that is cancer causing and will probably reduce your life by a week after each can? I will take my chances. I rather die goodlooking than die FAT! I don't want my tombstone to read "Here lies Derrick, a customized coffin had to be made for him as he was too large to fit into the standard one."

Just to let you guys know, im starting on my diet and exercise program because i can't believe that in the one plus month that i started working, i have put on weight at an insane speed even when i eat moderately 2 meals a day. It's absolutely ridiculous. And i want to look like FANTASTIC when i get to new york. Like absolutely great body kind. A new life there. Must have a good start. Got plenty of ang mohs to compete with... sigh... stupid asian genes... so please support me in my goal to be 60kg by end July! So everyone! Put your nicks as "xxx supports derrick's goal in reaching 60kg by end July!" If we won the youth olympic bid like that, im sure it has some magic in it. hehehe...

batam! (or is it bintan...)

2008-03-24T16:05:00.002+08:00

On easter sunday, i went with my caregroup to batam. So 6 of us met at harbour front early in the morning to take a ferry there. I think we went batam... or was it bintan... or was it bali... i just know its some island off singapore... is it malaysia... or is it indonesia... anyway, we went there to learn wakeboarding! Yes i know... im so adventurous... i cant believe it myself. In fact reality only hit me when the instructor started explaining what do to prepare yourself before the cable pulls you off the shore. I was having the "omg what am i doing here" moment.

So as we gathered around for a safety briefing, i was like so depress... More than half the people there were caucasians. Like people with nice color hair, chiselled face, mesmerizing blue eyes and lean muscular defined bodies... So so depressing. But thank god everyone had to wear life jackets. I quickly chose a black one which gave a slimming effect so i didn't feel so out of place. I seriously need to exercise and diet... How am i suppose to compete with the guys when i head to newyork...

Anyway back to the story. We started easy. We did the knee boarding which means we knelt and held on to the cable with our dear lives as it pulled us for 800m around this fresh water lake. Aaa at least thats what they told us it was... it looked a bit dodgy but i decided to pretend i was in a clear blue water like those found in the beaches of maldives. And i got to say, it was exhilarating! So so fun! Besides the fact that my neck was aching the whole time, it was so fun to be skiing on the surface of the water. Anyway after 2 rounds 3 around the lake, we felt as if we conquered mount kinabulu so we decided to go for the next level which is wakeboarding. Little did we know, wakeboarding was a mount everest!

I have no idea how those who wakeboarding do it. They have absolutely no difficulty in starting off while the beginners kept being thrown off the boards. After trying for god knows how many times, i still could not glide across the water... my arms were aching and i was developing a bad case of blisters. My blisters finally burst and i decided to give up as they were bleeding quite badly. Not to mention i drank alot of the 'fresh water' from the lake, and i swore i ate one of those small little ikan bilis fishes swimming in the lake. Yes... there are fishes in the lake... I know this because i felt something weird went down my throat and look into the water to see a school of small ikan bilis swimming pass me...

So of the 6 of us who went, only matthew could wakeboard at the end. But that's because he already knew how to in the beginning! While the rest of us could barely stay 25 metres on the board...

I have to say i really did enjoy myself. We were telling each other that this is a once in a lifetime experience. For me, i don't think it is. In fact, i plan to head down to east coast sometime next month to attempt to wakeboard. Anyone interested to try this "once in a lifetime experience" can join me. Hopefully those blisters will heal fast...

A quick update of the world

2008-03-20T16:06:00.003+08:00

I feel like starting my own online magazine to kill time in the office. Hehe...

Anyway here we go! A quick update of the world!

That nasi lemak guy who escaped from the clutches of our highly efficient Singapore Police Force is still at large. Apparently authorities still believe he is in Singapore. I think the chances of him paddling on a sampan to some off shore island is higher. Maybe he is in Pedra Blanca.

Taxi drivers are confused about the new rulings governing them in the CBD area. Apparently Singapore decided to adopt Hong Kong's policy of using taxi stands only. My opinion: Why change and confuse our taxi drivers... keep to the old policy. Anywhere also can. We don't want to change the wonderful impression most of us have on taxi drivers. The james bond drivers who can cut lanes in the midst of heavy traffic. Seriously, it's a skill. They are all trained stunt drivers.

The Dalai Lama(hehe everytime i say "dalai lama", i break into a chuckle. Dalai sounds so nirvana and Lama sounds like Llama. So what you do you get when you put them together? A enlightened donkey. Hehe... okok that was bad of me. I apologise to those who respect the Dalai Lama deeply) is apparently very hot now. The religious leader of Tibet is apparently asking for more autonomy from China but China seems to be ignorant of Tibet. Which makes me wonder, why on earth does China want to hold on to Tibet so tightly and eat up Taiwan?! Are they trying to increase their overall population or something? Your country so big already still want more land and people. Sheesh. At least govern your current land properly first before asking for more! Macham Malaysia like that. Fighting for a small piece of land when they already got SOOOO much unused land.

US market is spiralling downwards. One of the top investment banks, Bear Stearns, has been sold to another investment bank,JP Morgan, at a ridiculously low price to prevent bankrupcy. It's a really bad omen... A depression might be coming our way. But on a lighter note, rush to do online shopping at US online stores! Because of the drop in exchange rate, things are SOOO MUCH CHEAPER! So start clicking and making online payments! There is no better time to do online shopping than now! And guess what, my school fees at NYU are dropping by the thousands for each drop in cents! Whoot!

Some entertainment news. Daniel Radcliff, also known as Harry Potter, is addicted to smoking! He smokes a packet a day and has been puffing on the movie set. So don't be surprise to see cigarette butts on the floor of hogwarts when the new movie debuts at the end of the year.

Ok thats all you need for now to seem intelligent in front of your friends or people you just met. Use words like 'subprime' and 'credit crunch' like the reporters on Channel News Asia, and i assure you people will be fascinated at how smart and well informed you are. Wiki those words if you want to impress them even more. Oh wikipedia... my best friend...

workaholic

2008-03-20T15:46:00.002+08:00

It official. I'm a certified workaholic. Apparently all my time in National Service doing nothing all day and waiting for time to pass has made me a workaholic.

Currently i am working at Hong Leong Finance. Don't ask me doing what! What else can i be doing?! JANITOR?! Of cos admin work lah. Anyway my current job is pretty much the dream job of many people. I am paid 7 bucks an hour. I got my own computer with internet access. And basically im paid to do almost nothing. Everyday i come to work, turn on my comp, read the papers, eat my breakfast, serve the net, go for my 2 hour lunch break, more surfing the net then go home at 6. I will get one or two assignments a day. An example of one is to photocopy a file. End of day. Or sort out financial statements to file. End of day.

You are probably thinking right now: Wahhhh so lucky... i also want this kind of job... Seriously people, i would switch jobs with you anytime! (With the exception of non aircon jobs) I NEED WORK! It makes me feel accomplished. It makes me feel useful. It reassures me of my existence!

It's weird but everytime someone ask me to do something, my eyes sparkle, my heart rate increases and i start to get excited. I miss those first few days where i had to data entry the entire day till 10pm just to meet the deadline. (Omg! i finally spelt it right on the first attempt. I usually spell it as dateline.)

So you see what i mean. I'm a workaholic... i will make such a good employee... sigh... if only the people in my office will realise that...

best dining experience ever

2008-03-20T11:46:00.002+08:00

I apologise for the lack of entries the past week. It's just that i have been so busy after working hours. With all the mini gatherings with friends to celebrate my birthday. It has been a FANTASTIC week. I am so happy i chose to celebrate my birthday with my different clique of friends over the week. Instead of throwing the usual 21st birthday bash where you invite your entire facebook friends list and spend the whole evening hopping around trying to entertain numerous groups of friends, i decided to forfeit that and do something out of my character. And i have to say, it has to be one of the best decisions i have made in life. Because of this, i will remember my 21st birthday for a looong loong time as i spent it with the people that matters most in my life: My rafflesian classmates who supported me so much during JC, my CG who i love so so much, my family who is always there for me, and my closest clique of friends who i plan to spend eternity with. I thank all of you for making my 21st absolutely memorable.

So first up, im gonna talk about my wonderful birthday dinner. My sis brought me to this place called Morton Chicago Steakhouse at Oriental Hotel. I had the best dinner ever! Not only was the food OMG tasting, the service was OMG outstanding, the experience was OMG unforgettable. But of cos, it came with an OMG price.

As i was getting seated, i realised that the menu had a message on it. It said "Happy 21st Birthday, Derrick!" I was stunned! Then the waiter came and introduced himself. He is probably the friendliest waiter i have ever met in my life. It's a world of a difference compared to the usual china waitresses you get nowadays. You know what im talking abt. The impatient tapping on the notebook as we browse the menu, the insane long time it takes for us to get a glass of water, and the constant bad mood they are always in. Anyway this guy was all smily. He gave us the famous morton speech where he recited the menu. He introduced the various cuts of steak, the side dishes, the seafood etc. It was so so entertaining. Especially when he was going at bullet speed and i had no idea what the hell he was talking about. But his bubbly attitude put a smile on my face.

For starters, there was a warm fresh onion loaf. It was the best tasting bread i have ever tasted. In fact, i would have finished the whole bread if i could... but i knew i had to save my appetite for their famous steaks. Onion wasn't overpowering and it was crispy on the outside and nice chewy soft on the inside.

I chose my steak to be medium rare. Read some reviews that their medium rare was absolutely fantastic. When it came, i was shocked to see the sheer size of it. IT WAS HUGE. I shared it with my sis and it was absolutely fantastic. Medium rare was probably a bad choice since both of us didnt really like raw but it still tasted FANTASTIC. The meat was so tender. It was like eating sashimi without the overwhelming beef taste. It tasted so fresh and it wasn't oozing with blood. The side dishes was awesome. I had the best mash potatoes ever. Did you know by mixing your mash potato with sour cream and bacon bits, you get the best tasting thing EVER! I mean yes its high in calories and will probably lessen my lifespan by a year but who cares! It tasted so so good.

And the finale! Soft warm chocolate cake with chocolate fudge filling with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. After seeing the birthday song morton style, me and my sis immediately attacked the cake. All i can say about the cake is that it was ORGASMIC. You know how sometimes people post the question of if you had to forfeit food or sex for the rest of your life, which would it be? For this cake, i would say forfeit sex! I happen to be a dessert lover. My motto is "I am never too full for dessert." In fact, im quite sure i have 2 stomachs, one for normal food and one for desserts. It has to be the best dessert experience of my life.

I would highly recommend this place for birthday celebrations of small groups of 2-4. Their attention to the smallest details makes the entire experience so so memorable. A steak cost about 80-120 i think but it serves 2 people. Side dishes cost about 15. We ended up spending about 100 a person but that was because we ordered a lobster which i have to say was amazing. The cake was on the house since it was my birthday. I don't think i have ever smiled so much in a restaurant before. It was just the best dining experience ever. Thanks for the treat, Sis! Oh wait, the money came from my bro in law... hehe... thanks Sam!

twenty one

2008-03-12T18:11:00.004+08:00

It seems just like a month ago i was in ACSI having the time of my life. Every day was a joy to go to school. Where the principal was known as the CEO, where the only place that isn't air-conditioned in the school is the corridoor and the toilets(yes, our canteen is airconditioned!), where toyota corollas and any japanese cars were directed to the HDB carpark to give way to the fancy european cars(haha kidding kidding. But seriously, you will hardly see any japanese cars entering the school.)

It seems just like a week ago i was in RJC coping with life. Every day offered new challenges and surprises. Where students walk out of the school in bright day light at 10am to go to the thomsom area to play DOTA yet still manage to score their As, where the library was 'open concept' that the girls feared climbing the stairs and desperate hormone ranging boys camped below the staircase to sneak a peak, where everyone mugged damn hard till the wee hours of the morning as the exam approached.

It seems just like yesterday i was in army wasting my life away. Every day was a dread to wake up to. Where i was exiled into the God forsaken island of Pulau Tekong to go through Hell, where i had to work with brainless idiots who used their rank to force me to do things the inefficient way, where i almost teared upon receiving back my pink IC on my ORD day.

Now i sit here, 6 more hours till 1258am, the exact time i was borned if i can remember correctly, pondering about the first 21 years of my life. And all i can say is wow. I may not have achieved much in this 21 years, but what's life with achievements when they will wither away one day.

So much drama. So much comedy. It has been an amazing journey. To all the people who know me and have contributed some way or another to my life, I thank you. Thanks for being part of this wonderful life of Derrick See.

ARGH!!!

2008-03-10T11:47:00.002+08:00

I go to work during the weekdays by bus. I go home by bus. Whenever i travel to anywhere more than 100 metres from my house, i take a bus. And recently, there has been this bloody annoying horrendous advertisement that keeps playing on TV mobile.

When i say that it keeps playing, i don't mean like Rihanna Umbrella every half an hour on the radio. This bloody advertisement was playing EVERY 10 MINUTES. And the advertisement is like 5 minutes long lah! Or at least it felt like it.

"There was a time not long ago when Singapore ......"
"There was a time not long ago when ........"
"There was a time not long ago....."
"There was a time not long ago....."

Omg... HOW CREATIVE CAN THIS BUNCH OF STUDENTS GET?! Firstly the animation was TERRIBLE. Secondly, the lines are so cliche! Thirdly, i know they are trying to drive a point about there was a time but did they have to repeat it like 100 times. And they sounded so solemn as if someone died! I felt like i was at a funeral listening to a Eulogy.

"There was a time not long ago when Henry was alive"
"There was a time not long ago when Henry was a boy."
"There was a time not long ago when Henry went to school."
"There was a time not long ago when Henry scored his As."
"There was a time not long ago when Henry went to U."
"There was a time not long ago when i met Henry at the U."
"There was a time not long ago when Henry met Michelle."
"There was a time not long ago when Henry married Michelle."
"There was a time not long ago when Henry became a father."

ARGH!!! There was time not long ago when i can freaking enjoy my bus ride. There was a time not long ago when my blood pressure didn't increase even if the bus was packed. There was a time not long ago when propaganda messages were not forced down our throats until National Day which is a LOOONG way to go.

Seriously... it better soon become "there was a time not long ago when this iritating advertisement was shown repeatedly on TV mobile."

Shhhh

2008-03-10T11:23:00.002+08:00

The other day i was at Plaza Sing GV. We(that would be me, shirls, livi and freedie) went into the cinema to watch "There will be blood". Wanted to see what's the big deal about Daniel Day Lewis who won the Oscar for Best Lead Actor.

We went in on time so we could watch the 20 minutes worth of trailers and advertisement before the movie starts. Anyway there was a movie trailer and i was commenting about it to freedie. And the person in front of me. This man of about 40-50 turned around and shush me! He went shhhh! And i was totally stunned.

Firstly, this was the first time i was shushed in the cinema! I'm a rather considerate person and love to enjoy movies so i tend to keep as quiet as possible during movies by not talking to the person beside me. But this was BEFORE the movie! They are just TRAILERS! Can you believe it?! I was shushed during a trailer!

Secondly, it wasn't as if i was shouting. I was talking at normal volume. Not to mention the rest of the cinema were talking as well. After all, the movie hasn't started!

So anyway, i decided to ignore this person since i didn't want this "oh im of a higher class than you" old man to spoil my day and movie. Then the trailer of August Rush came on and we all got excited. We all wanted to watch that show so we started throwing in comments like "Isn't that the boy from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?" and "Oh The felicity girl!". Then when John Rhys Meyers came on screen, i wanted to share the funny joke about him.

So i started telling shirls and livi how this guy told reporters that he dislike people like Brad Pitt who got into the movie industry and rose to fame because of his looks. I was like "seriously? And what about you? Did you think you got into the industry with your acting skills? Get a mirror dude." All of us started chuckling.

Then that old man turned back again and this time he actually shouted:"Can you keep quiet! Save your commentaries till the end of the movie!" And that totally pissed me off because the movie hasn't started! So i thought ok maybe this guy has no idea the movie hasn't started yet. So i politely told him, "Sir the movie hasn't started yet. These are the trailers." He then replied "I want to watch the trailers!" and turned back to the screen, shaking his head.

Save my commentaries of the trailers till the end of the movie?! My goodness. I never knew there was a rule where we weren't allow to talk before the movie! And save my commentaries till the end?? It's like asking me to eat my popcorn after the movie! I was so tempted to kick his seat throughout the movie to destroy his movie experience for spoiling my day. But of cos i didn't.

Come to think about it. I should have.

Btw the movie was great. I enjoyed it and it should have won the Oscars instead of No Country for Old men which was a rather pointless show. Daniel Day Lewis indeed deserve the best actor for his wondering portrayal of a rich oil tycoon turning evil. It's a literature film worth watching.

get me out of here...

2008-03-05T22:28:00.003+08:00

Don't worry! I have not given up blogging yet! In fact, i really love blogging these stuff. Apparently it entertains many of you and it makes me happy to contribute to that. Anyway the reason why i havent been blogging the past 2 days is not because i ran out of material to write about. In fact, i got so much to write about! There is that malay guy who ran away during a toilet break still at large. There is the stupid new rule which prevent cabs from picking up passengers at any location. There is much fear as people predict a slowdown in the US economy.

But all these pales in comparison to my experience on my first day at work. When i reported to work, i was told to wait in the conference room with another person. I ended up spending 4 hours with him in that room and pretty much spent the rest of the day with him. It was the worst kind of person you would want to be with ALONE. Can you guess who he is?

A clue: You usually spend about 15-20 minutes with this person whenever you meet him.

Still can't get it? He is a TAXI DRIVER! After 5 minutes of ranting when i first met him, he announced he used to be a taxi driver. I sighed and muttered under my breathe "Why am i not surprised..." Seriously. What kind of training do cab drivers have to go through before they are qualified to drive? The ability to make small conversations and ask stupid questions when all i want is to be left alone? It totally pisses me off everytime when i step into a cab and meet this kind of cab driver.

"So where you want to go?"
"Orchard. Plaza Singapura"
"Nicoll Highway?"
"Yes please"
"So you go orchard for what? Meet girlfriend ah?"
"Nope. I'm single." *fumble bag for my mp3*
"Ah howcome? Then meet friends for movie is it?"
"Yup." *omg.. where is that stupid player...*
"So what you doing now? Student?"
"Nope i just finished my NS" *OH THANK GOD! I FOUND IT!*
"Oh NS! Tough anot? What you do ah? Officer ah?"
"Nope Im a military police" *Damn earphones... quickly untwine*
"Wah MP ah! Good life right?"
"Ok ok lah" *Stuff earphones into my ears*
-oh sweet music-

Seriously. They should install a button for the passengers to press when they enter a cab. A "DO NOT DISTURB" button. I seriously have no idea how to politely tell the cab driver to shut up. The best way i feel is just to listen to your music player and close your eyes to pretend you are sleeping.

Ok back to the office. So i was in the conference room with him. I had a newspaper and a book and seriously wanted to be left alone. But no... this 50+ year old malay can't keep his mouth shut. In fact, he kept trying to start conversations. Conversations to proof to me how highly achieved he is.
Topics he covered:
1) I used to be a taxi driver. Very popular in Comfort. See! *Takes out a taxi driver manual* Recognise this person on the cover anot? It's me! They usually get the best cab drivers to do this kind of things.

My reply to him: Wow...
What i was actually thinking: OMG... He carries that manual around to show this off... is that like his biggest achievement in life... To be on the cover of a cab driver manual...

2) You here temp job is it? From agent? Why you go through agent? They take alot of money you know. How much they pay you? 7?! So little?! Next time must ask for more! I also got this job from agent. But i didn't know they agent until i went there! Hai...

My reply to him: hmmm ok.. understand.
What i was actually thinking: You are here giving me career advice when you are jobless and have to take a temp job as a driver, probably getting the same pay as me...

3) Aiyoh this terrorist escape from detention. Confirm something wrong. How can escape? I think the government purposely let him out so that can shoot him when they try to catch him and he try to escape. Shoot already then he die then no longer a problem.

My reply to him: hmm interesting.
What i was actually thinking: Seriously lah... would our government do something so stupid and cause Singapore to lose face in the international community. Even the interpol has been informed... By letting this masa... what is his name again... Aiyah i know its something like nasi lemak... So anyway by letting this nasi lemak escape, it shows how pathetic our country's security is. We are like a joke now lah... Watch too much tv drama already... Think he in Alias ah? Oh wait he probably doesn't watch that... Didn't know malay dramas so creative one.

I have no idea how i managed to survive that day. If it wasn't for the book which i constantly read even as he was talking to show him how disinterested i am to talk to him, I would have ran and bang my head against the wall as a way to politely tell him to shut up. Not to mention he was such a slacker. Kept asking me to stay in the pantry with him to avoid work. I know most of you think im quite a slacker, but staying in the pantry vs endless pile of paperwork and data entry.... The latter was so much more appealing...

So anyway he is no longer around. Thank God. The boss finally decided to dismiss him since he spent most of the day sitting in the pantry reading the papers. Oh did i mention that when i was reading the book, he was scribbling down numbers. At first i thought he was playing sudoku. Then i realised he was looking at previous 4D and TOTO numbers and writing down various combinations. I think he was trying to find a trend and crack the code. Hah! Good luck with that, mr cab driver. Stick to your manual. It's much more impressive.

The formula

2008-02-28T21:13:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, i was flipping through mypapers. Its my usual daily routine now. Have decided that since i am planning to do business in university, i better start developing the habit of reading the papers. Hopefully it won't be like my JC days where my Newsweek magazines piled up in my room, all still freshly wrapped in its original plastic cover. And i know many of you are culprits to that too! Damn those magazine companies... keep telling us to buy buy buy to help us with our GP...

So anyway, one article made my jaw drop. The headlines read "IDIOT PEES IN MRT TRAIN". Ok it was more like boy pees in the mrt but omg!!! WHAT AN IDIOT! I think thats too light for him. Apparently, while the train was travelling somewhere around Tanjong Pagar, a woman brought her kid to the door and got him to pee at the door. How disgusting is that!

But after giving it a little thought... you know... it was bound to happen... I mean people in Singapore pee in the HDB lifts... In. The. Lifts. I still don't understand why people pee in the lifts and will never understand. But if singaporeans can pee in the lifts, we can definitely pee in the train.

I mean the environment is pretty similar. Most HDB lifts i know are green/blue... Most trains have green flooring and blue seats. HDB lifts are litted by fluorescent lights... so are trains. Most HDB lifts have that 2 piece glass panel on the door so you can see the floors as you go up(which really freaks me out. They should abolish that... I keep thinking some freaky girl from the movie dark waters will be standing there watching me as my lift goes up)... trains too. Lastly, both lifts and train are forms of transport.

So technically, the environment is pretty similar. So what we get is this formula:
Green/Blue background + fluorescent lights + glass panel + moving = uncontrollable desire to pee

Just thinking about it makes me sick. Apparently, as people walk into the train, they stepped on the puddle and made the entire train wet with what they thought was water. Eick! I am so not entering the train if i see a puddle in it ever again...

Plus you know what i thought was funny about the article. They actually went around interviewing people to get their comments. So people were saying "It is wrong", "this should not happen", "i will not allow my kid to pee on the train". And i was like... seriously... do we need comments about this? ITS OBVIOUSLY VERY WRONG AND VERY DISGUSTING! I don't need some housewife telling me why she thinks its wrong...

And wait. I save the best for the last. The best part of it all was that as the boy was peeing, everyone on the carriage was staring at him but NO ONE did anything. NO ONE. And they didnt even warn the crowd stepping into the train. SERIOUSLY. What is wrong with us, Singaporeans! That we cant seem to distinguish between what is right and wrong and do something about it when the time calls for it? No wonder we have to go around asking comments about this incident! *Faint*

My fellow Singaporeans. I urge you to step up to the challenge of taking the iniative to do something when something like this happens. Maybe the guys are used to seeing people anyhow pee since they did that in the army. BUT THIS IS CIVILIZATION! Or at least i thought it was... Don't let this spread to the public buses which i take frequently since the train station is far from my house. Please oh please....

Anyway on a lighter note: The terrorist guy who escaped from the detention centre is still at large in Singapore. Do stay away from trains, especially planes for the time being. They are the favourite targets for terrorist. Take bus. It's safer and cheaper. Plus you get to avoid the pee puddle since the trend haven't spread to the buses yet. Nod nod. But i worry... According to the formula... It won't be long before i see puddles in the bus even though it's blazing hot outside...

something new

2008-02-27T21:24:00.003+08:00

My sister stays around the pebble bay area. It's the bunch of condos located by the ECP and its just across the river from the Indoor Stadium. Since i go by her place pretty often, i tend to stop by Kallang Leisure Park just to grab some stuff or idle. It's the newly renovated shopping centre located near the stadium. And i have to tell you. I. Am. So. Loving. That place.

1) It's absolutely deserted! No one goes there. The number of staff in that shopping centre outnumbers the patrons! It's not the usual crowded shopping centre like Vivo or Marina Square where i get giddy trying to make my way through the human traffic. In fact, it is so quiet and peaceful, its like going to a park with aircon. Whoot!

2) The cold storage there is the best supermart in Singapore. It's absolutely gorgeous. Everything inside just looks fresher than the usual supermart. The colour, the texture, the glow of the fruits and vegetables... Everything looks untouched, as if im the very first customer in the supermart. All the shelves are packed with food and in order. The aircon is bloody cold which is oh so good for me. (yes i know. im cold blooded. My optimum temperature is below 15 degrees.) The best part is that there are hardly any patrons! No playing snakes in the supermart where i have to navigate myself and my trolley around kids who are running around with unwrapped sweets they just got off the shelf or housewives who cant decide which toilet paper to buy. Seriously! It's like playing bumber car in there! Not to mention i don't have to queue at the casher for half an hour like at Giant.

3) The cinema is commendable. The seats are great. There is plenty of leg room. The air con is just nice. But again, the best part is that there is no one! So i can buy the tickets 1 minute before the show starts and still get the best seats in the cinema. And its perfect to watch those shows that you want to watch but no one seems to share the same interest as you. You won't have to worry about being caught watching a movie alone. And its perfect for couples too. It's like having your own private cinema.

4) Not to mention there is an ice skating ring, a bowling alley, Kbox and a hand full of small eateries.

But it's just me. I don't really like crowds so this shopping mall fits me totally. I have to say most of you won't like it. Its really dull. And the design is just terrible. The rubbish dump is like located near the entrance. Not to mention the location. Its like in the middle of no where. So don't go there. Even if its only a 10 minutes bus ride from town. Don't go there. Alright? Let me keep my peaceful shopping centre! Sheesh why am i even blogging about this secret shopping centre... Ok pretend you didn't read this post!

The Oscars

2008-02-26T00:54:00.002+08:00

The 80th Academy awards, or more affectionately known as the Oscars, just ended. I seriously don't understand how "No country for old men" deserve to be best motion picture. In fact, most of you probably have not heard of most of the oscar nominated movies like Michael Clayton, There will be blood, Gone baby Gone etc. I only managed to catch No country for old men and i seriously don't think it deserves that award.

So anyway, i was thinking. Since we have no idea who the winners are and whether they deserve it, why bother about that award? So Im going to have my very own inaugural Film Awards!

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Who the hell is Daniel Day-Lewis... Anyway in 2007, the best actor comes to my mind instantly. This actor was so amazing in the movie, i could really feel for him. In fact, the movie wasn't good at all. The plot was a recycled one. Everything about it was predictable. But because of this actor's stellar performance, the movie was totally worth watching.

This actor is none other than Will Smith from I am Legend! Come on... I bet you can still remember the scene where he went into the building to find his dog. Remember how you were shaking and your heart was pounding... I almost wet my pants...

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Marion Cotillard. aaaa ok... Moving on... Best actress... I can't seem to think of anyone but... Keira Knightley! What what what! Not happy is it! It's Keira Knightley! Who cares about the acting... She is GORGEOUS! She so deserve to win it... All the guys agree with me. Nod nod... Even though the bloody movie was like 102 hours long(you mean it was only 3?), Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At world's end was worth it because we saw the strong side of Keira! Who can ever forget how she wore that cool chinese outfit and became the captain of the ship! It's like the time when we all fell in love with Lacus from Gundam Seed when she changed her robe and took control of the space ship... Will you marry me, Keira?

Best Animated Feature Film

The oscars went to Ratatouille. This one is seriously a no brainer. Of cos the rat will win. It's Pixar! Steve Job is like a genius! A rat that cooks! Come on! If you haven't watched this animation, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?! Its cute. Its witty. Its funny. Its animation at its best! Of cos Finding Nemo is still better...

Best Picture

There are so many genre so i have decided to split them into the major ones since its hard to really declare the best. But honestly, No country for Old men is not the best... wonder what the coen brothers(the directors of the film) fed the critics...

Romance

This one definitely goes to Enchanted. I absolutely loved that movie. It has to be one of the best disney productions in a loong loong time. Ok wait.. there was high school musical too... but thats not counted. Enchanted was just so magical. It made me have faith in love again. To believe in true love. And the happily ever after even in the real world. However, not so good to watch with your girlfriend. I definitely can't. Im quite sure i will propose to her immediately after the movie, even if we have only dated for a week. hehe...

Comedy

Comedy is a lil tricky since i didn't watch much in 2007. But i remember laughing really hard in one movie. Blades of Glory. Call me a sadist. I remember i laughed so so hard when i watched the special forbidden skating move. I replayed the scene just to watch the head drop off again. haha... North Korea... Funny...

Action and Overall

If i had to choose the best movie of the year, i will choose Bourne Ultimatum. This movie totally blew me away. The first 2 installments of this trilogy was alright... I know people who loved it. I thought it wasn't that fantastic. Especially the second one... there was the blaire witch project effect. I came out of the movies with a terrible migrane. Stupid Bourne Supremacy... Anyway Ultimatum was totally different. The script was amazing. The directing was amazing. And the entertainment value was just WOW. I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire show. The twists and the turns were unpredictable. And Matt Damon was fantastic... Still can't believe he was voted hottest man alive 2007... What do the girls see in him...

So that's my pick of 2007. Feel free to disagree with me. Like i care. haha... So if you haven't watched any of these movies, go buy the dvd. DUN DOWNLOAD! YOU PIRATES! So before i sign off, i will leave you with this video of the song "Falling Slowly" from "Once". It's an Irish romance musical film that was highly rated in 2007. I don't think it was played in Singapore but the soundtrack is mesmerizing. Especially the theme song which won the Best Original Music in the oscars. Enjoy.

Enjoy

2008-02-24T23:54:00.004+08:00

I take it many of you come here to de-stress and get a laugh. A friend of mine, Kaimin, showed me this video and its DROP DEAD HILARIOUS. I havent laughed so hard in my life. Seriously. I suggest you stop all eating and drinking before watching this video. I spilt my drink all over the floor because i couldn't control myself. I was laughing so so hard till some drink flowed into my lungs and i started having breathing difficulties.

It might take forever to load, like for me. I have no idea why i take ages to load youtube videos. Bloody starhub cable. Anyway this 4 minutes is all worth it. So wait for it to finish loading and have the laugh of your life. Enjoy!

Jobless

2008-02-23T00:32:00.002+08:00

A week has passed and im still jobless... Psh... A RJC graduate cant get a job... But all is good still. Besides the fact that money is magically disappearing from my wallet, life is still oh so good....

The joys of being jobless
1) Sleeping as late as you want.

2) Being able to throw the alarm clock away and wake up anytime i want to. My day no longer starts in the morning. It starts at noon. OH what joy it is to wake up at 12 noon!

3) First meal of the day - Lunch! Save money!

4) Watching the Oprah and Ellen marathon from 1-3pm.

5) To nap or not to nap... that is the question.

For those of you who are working, i sense your blood pressure rising just from reading this. Hehe... Join me in the "we are jobless and so lovin it" club!

But i still wish i could get a job...

Wouldn't it be great to be a movie critic? To be invited to all the exclusive screenings of the movies even before they are launched. To be paid to give your views about the movie. And have the power to decide the fate of the movie. Oh wait. They don't really have much power. Just look at Singaporeans. We love all those crappy shows like jumper and white chicks. Mention a show like Michael Clayton and everyone goes "Huh? Michael what? Got such movie meh? Is it about a clay man..." It's just depressing to see how we singaporeans have such bad taste for movies...

Wouldn't it be great to be a food critic? To go to all those posh restaurants and eat for free. To be paid to eat and give reviews. And have all the chefs and waiters suck up to you with their sudden extraordinary service. Suddenly they are all smiley and helpful. How many times have i been to a restaurant to be greeted by some black face waiter who first pretend to not see me waving for him, then ask me "What you want?" without looking at me, and then take 10 minutes to get me my glass of water. Singapore's customer service... PUI.

Wouldn't it be great to write for a magazine? Oh my dream job... To write for eight days. To work with a bunch of talented writers like Jason Hahn and Phin Wong... Those people just crack me up. To write reviews and articles which are published weekly and are read by thousands all over the island. And to be invited to all those fanciful parties and movie screenings. Basically, to be yourself and be paid for it.

Wouldn't it be great?

in the cinema

2008-02-21T23:55:00.005+08:00

I just watched Jumper at shaw bugis... All i have to say is OMG...

#1 OMG SHAW! Close down already! Your cinemas are TERRIBLE! My back is aching now from the horrible seats! And i only sat there for one and a half hours. And no, its not because i don't exercise, thank you very much! I don't get this backache when i watch in Cathay. Seriously people. Why do we allow these cinemas to stay open?! If you ask me, only Cathay is worth going to. Ok so what if we have to pay 50 cents more now. At least i don't come out having to pay few hundreds in the future to repair my bad back. And why are the seats slightly elevated only?! It felt as if all the seats were on the same level and i was getting a neck ache watching the puny screen in the large room. Some day, someone is going to burn down that place! Don't get me started on LIDO!

#2 OMG JUMPER! Did you know that this is the first installment of a TRILOGY! Yes i know... for those of you who watched it, you are probably thinking what im thinking: A SEQUEL?! WTH?! Now let me tell you what the show is about. It's about 2 people who can teleport and a bunch of people chasing this 2 people around the world. Wow... that was easy. It's like "Free Willy". A whale called Willy who wants to be free. Anyway I can't wait to see how bad the sequel will do and im quite sure the third and final installment will not make it to the big screens and will go straight to the video stores.

I seriously can't think of anything good about that movie... Hayden Christensen "jumped" out of starwars into this movie. His acting is as bad as ever. Same facial expression throughout. And he is exactly like Anakin. Young, rash and stupid. I won't be surprise if he turns evil in the next installment of Jumper. Rachel Bilson too "jumped" from the OC to Ann Arbor. Same character, same look. Did they even use the same name... Psh the show was so forgettable, i cant remember. And isn't Samuel L Jackson a lil too old to be chasing these kids with a metal rod... How old is he anyway? Like 92 or something.

#3 OMG people in the same theatre as me! In the middle of the show, i heard a noise that sounded either like snoring or farting. Hmmm if it was snoring, i guess i can forgive him since the movie is bad... But if it was farting! OMG! And it seriously did sound more like farting to me. He actually chose to fart during the slow part of the show. The serious part when there was a conversation going on. Why oh why did you choose to fart during this time when you can fart during the action scene and release your gas undetected?! Be a little more discreet at least!

Omg that took me 15 minutes to edit the picture and to upload it... That is why i just have words on my blog...

21st

2008-02-20T17:20:00.004+08:00

This year is the year of birthday parties for me. All my friends are throwing their 21st birthday parties. Have been invited to quite a few and have already attended some. Mine is in a month time but im really too lazy to plan a big party. Im starting to feel this 21st thing is like a tradition. Like CNY. Everyone celebrates it but everyone hates it. Seriously. You think the birthday boy is happy? No... he has to entertain both his family and friends(which can be separated into another 4 categories of cliques.) You think the people invited are happy? No... i have to freaking buy him a birthday present when im already broke.

Anyway lets not spoil this joyous occasion to mark adulthood. I mean every year, we still celebrate CNY right? So the 21st must go on! And i have a few tips for everyone who is planning their 21st.

Tip 1: Have separate parties for your family and friends. Seriously... don't put the 2 groups together. Everyone will feel very odd. Celebrate with your family in some chinese restaurant where everyone can talk loudly and comment on how you have grown and how cute you used to be as a baby. Then choose a bar or a cafe to celebrate with your friends where there can be games and alcohol. Oh alcohol.. the saviour of boring parties... And no BBQ. Strictly no BBQ. It makes everyone all greasy and sweaty and smelly. Eick...

Tip 2: Have something to entertain your guests while they wait for the climax of the event, the cutting of the cake. Bring cards, board games, nintendo wii, a huge tv. Like how we need blackjack and mahjong during CNY to get rid of the awkwardness of having not seen each other for a year.

Tip 3: Choose a great tasting cake. Seriously people. Prima Deli and Bagawan Solo are for insignificant birthdays. Like when you are 19 or something. 21st is a milestone so get the best for everything. My recommendation :Bakerz Inn. Yes the price is steep but you get the best tasting cakes in the world. Usually i pretend to have a bite before tossing the rest away. Then i leave the party forgetting what flavour it was... was it chocolate or fruit... Give your guests a memorable cake!

Tip 4: If you got yourself a HUGE cake, do yourself a favor and get 21 candles instead of the miserable 2 big ones and 1 small one. Pay more if they refuse to give you so many candles. Get 21 candles. 3 candles on a gigantic cake is really pathetic... not to mention 21 candles will make the cake glow even if the design is terrible. But if you got your cake from bakerz inn, no need to worry about that.

Tip 5: Wear your most gorgeous clothes. And make all your friends wear nice too. You want to take a really pretty 21st photo instead of people wearing singlets and shorts and flipflops. If your 21st is glam, the rest of your life will be. So wear your best shirt. Wear a blazer even.

Tip 6: Appoint an emcee to help your party flow smoothly. Get someone with a sense of humor and close to you. Get a friend. Not a relative. But if you followed my tip 1, there wont be any relatives around. If you have been to one of those weddings ran by families, you will know what i am talking about. Those emcees who stare at their script and read it out monotonously, totally spoiling the atmosphere.

Tip 7: Prepare a speech. You are 21! Thank the people around you for making you who you are. Tell them what being 21 means to you. Tell them what you hope for in the future as you begin the next chapter of your life. And ask them for their support and that you guys will be friends forever. And to that, give a toast and cheers!

And that's my 7 tips of planning and executing a great 21st birthday party. Adhere to them and im sure it will be the most memorable birthday of your life. Not to mention your guests wont be staring at their watches, wondering when they can leave.

The budget

2008-02-19T21:36:00.003+08:00

Our government recently announced the Budget for 2008 and as usual, there wasn't much surprise.

Assuming not many of you guys know what is happening, let me just highlight some stuff.

Our gov spend a whooping 40% of our budget on security and defense. Which means ALOT of money goes into the Singapore Armed Forces(SAF) and the Singapore Police Force(SPF). I guess defense is important to a country's development and growth. A safe country attracts many investors and rich people. But i wonder... have you seen our military force? Well if you have not, let me give you a glimpse of it, being from the SAF before.

Things you see in the SAF
1) NSFs do all the work. Regulars and DXOs just sit down and command the NSFs around. Basically, they don't work.

2) Schedule for most regulars
8am - Appear in office to read newspaper
9am- Upon finishing the papers, goes for breakfast
10am- Return to office to clear emails
12pm - Lunch
2pm - Return to office to read newpaper
3pm - Make some phonecalls that is definitely not related to work
4pm - Tea break
5pm - Chiong out of office
They spend most of their time in the canteen rather than working in the office. Basically, they don't work.

3) They declare off days for themselves. They play sports during office hours like golf and badminton. Basically, they don't work.

So yes. Basically, they don't work.

This makes me wonder whether the funds allocated to the security of the country is well spent. Then i realise why we do this. Apparently, its not the quality that counts but the quantity. If we cant scare our 'enemies' with our pathetic defense force, we shall scare them with our enormous budget!

Who cares about the quality of the soldiers. As long as they think we are filled with high tech equipment. Like those available in world war one. Who cares about the training of the soldiers. As long as they think we have an island filled with combat ready soldiers. An island filled with 18 year olds who are old enough to fire rifles but not old enough to watch movies which are excessively violent.

Our defense force rawks!

So anyway you will be happy to know that our government still spends quite alot on education though significantly less than security. And of cos the annual cash give away of $100-400. I feel like im in a country governed by Ellen Degeneres! Free money lah! But of cos they say its to relief the hike in GST. However, if you think of it that way, you will realise that few hundred is not enough to relief the anxiety and depression i get everytime i see the receipt after every purchase. Hence, see it as a give away. You will feel so much better. But still... I wish Singapore was governed by Oprah. Then can get free car! But only for show in garage. Since its so bloody expensive to maintain and drive one...

first weekend

2008-02-19T02:59:00.002+08:00

The weekends are usually busy periods for me so don't expect me to blog then.

So anyway this is the first weekend for my blog. I got great reviews from people the past week. Many people coming up to me telling me this blog is dead hilarious. And i just cant wait to bring you guys more stuff. Hopefully this blog will make you more aware of current affairs with a twist of humor.

Over the weekend, i did some evaluation on how to improve this blog. Apparently, SOMEBODY say that the blog entries are long and dronny(if there is such a word). What to do... i like to drone on about stuff... So that one... cannot be helped! Maybe i will add more paragraphings? hehe.

Then someone told me pictures speak a thousand words. Apparently, no picture no talk. It's some blog language apparently... never heard of it.. but oh well.. Ok.. so i should put up pictures to bring across my point more effectively. That i can do. Hopefully i can figure out how to use the super confusing adobe photoshop.

Like what bruce said. There is a lot of things i can talk about. This week, you can expect me to comment on the Budget, 21st parties, more about the wonderful people of Singapore and anything i find particularly interesting on the roads. So here we go! Week 2!

My ex job

2008-02-15T23:28:00.002+08:00

as of 1800 hrs 15 Feb 08, I am no longer an employee of UOB.

If you don't know yet, i have been working at UOB from 1 Feb. You must be thinking: wow so glam. Bank leh. UOB somemore. Isn't that like one of the best banks in Asia... wow derrick so zhai... Sorry to burst your bubble. (Except for the part that i am zhai. i totally agree with that. nod nod nod.) I was working at UOB Life assurance, the insurance part of the bank. Apparently its a "member of the UOB group".

Unfortunately, i didn't work in the UOB building which is beautifully located beside the Singapore river across the victoria concert hall. Instead, i worked at far eastern bank building which is somewhere in between raffles place and tanjong pagar mrt. Far eastern what? Exactly what i was thinking when i first heard the location. I had trouble finding it the first day. I ended up asking some security guard "do you know where is china bank or something like that?" Far eastern sounds cheena to me lah... To that he gave me a puzzled look and said " i think its across the road" Seriously, people... if you don't know where the place is... just say so.. dun point people in random direction lah... i walked across the road to realise that the place i was looking for was right beside the building where i found the security guard...

So anyway, you are probably wondering: so what did you do? Sell insurance ah? Over my dead body lah. I was a temp admin assistant, but i prefer to call myself the photocopier expert. That's right! In this 2 weeks, i basically photocopied documents, filed them and dispatch them. In fact, i spent an average of 4 hours every day at the copier machine.

Sounds bad right... But it was alright lah. I mean i had to make the best out of the situation. Hence every hour, i declare a 5 min break for myself. I will walk over to the pantry and visit the highlight of my job: the drink machine with dispenses drinks for FREE! Free leh! Got coke, diet coke, f&n, sprite, coffee, tea, teh bing, mocha, chrysanthemum... alot lah... What do you expect! They pay me only 6 bucks an hour lah! (actually 9.. since stupid recruit express takes 1/3 of it... rip off...) Not to mention the every 2 hour toilet break that i will take. hehehe...

So anyway, im currently jobless (yes.. AGAIN) but i am so enjoying it. Will probably be jumping around jobs. Maybe you will see me at starbucks some day? Tall or Grande?

to celebrate or not to celebrate

2008-02-14T23:50:00.003+08:00

Isn't it interesting how every year during valentines, everyone starts a debate about whether we should celebrate it and whether we should buy gifts etc? EVERY YEAR! Apparently we are so fickled minded, we cant make up our minds once and for all. You know what. I know a way to settle this problem.

My solution is declare valentines day a PUBLIC HOLIDAY! Yup yup... a public holiday! Firstly, everyone will rejoice if that is implemented. But thats not the reason why i suggest for it to be a public holiday. (seriously! That's not the reason! We already got 12 days of holiday a year! That averages out to one per month! ONE! Thats alot lor... :P like my lonely 2 dollar ang bao)

The reason is after you declare it a holiday, everyone will celebrate it. There wont be any more debates and forums about it. Do you hear anyone debating whether we should celebrate christmas even though technically, 25 dec is not the day Jesus was born on? Every year, the streets of orchard road is transformed into a magical winter wonderland in the tropics for this holiday. No one is complaining right? Although the pine tree companies are profiting(thats the christmas tree right?). Although Hallmark makes insanely expensive cards. Although printing companies go into full speed to produce enough wrapping paper to gift wrap the entire Alaska and all its icebergs which later all goes into the rubbish bin and incinerated back into carbon dioxide after being RIPPED apart by some kid(and me!). Yes... im against wrapping paper...

Psh i digress... So anyway! Don't you think valentines should be a public holiday? We can fill the entire orchard road with hearts and cupids... aww... show the sweet and soft side of us unfriendly myob attitude singaporeans.... Will be good for our global image too!

I didn't write this because i had to wake up early this morning to go to work and leave work slightly late... I write this because its seriously a good idea! (nodnodnod)

So anyway like i promised, i will share a lil about myself. Today, i had the best v day eva! No i didn't make out with anyone... But i had a great time with my CG at mind cafe. Oh man we totally messed up the place. We were shouting, screaming, pushing, punching, taopoking, dancing, fighting, quacking. At the end of the day, our table was no where near its original location, drinks were spilled, and everyone was sweating and panting hard. After today, i might consider staying single during all v day! hehe... just kidding. Something i realise though. Everytime i spend a holiday with this cg of mine, it turns out to be the best holiday. I had the best v day with them. I had the best christmas with them. I can't wait to have the best easter with them! I love you guys!

Oh and thanks for tagging! Pls do tag more! Makes me feel popular! haha... kidding kidding. And yes i think the papers should hire me. Do you guys read mypaper? Omg.. who on earth hired those writers... They are terrible lah.... They write stuff that are like duh... oh dun go to work when ya sick.. wear mask.. omg.. seriously.. SARS is over! Talk about something more important man... like britney attempting suicide! And start a bidding pool on who is the next star to attempt suicide! My bet is on Michael Jackson! Apparently he is releasing a new album soon.

I can imagine what he is thinking... "Oh my life is miserable... everyone thinks i like kids... whats wrong with that... why does everyone not understand me... i happen to like them alot... i shall just end my life... this cruel life... hopefully you guys will buy my album to show me life isn't cruel and that i can go back to my favourite antique shop and go on my shopping spree... WILFRED! Get me that blunt butter knife!"

and since we are on the topic

2008-02-12T21:40:00.000+08:00

Talking about public transportation makes me wanna talk about our roads. Do you guys know how freaking expensive it is to own/drive a car? Everything about cars is expensive now. Maintenance is expensive. Petrol is expensive. Parking the car is expensive. And the best part is that you never get a good deal with a car.

Firstly, the prices of car depreciates as fast as the prices of handphones. It only takes a few months for the price to drop to a fraction. So whoever claims owning a car is an investment, he is either a bad investor or stupid.

Secondly, you pay money to enter a carpark, but most of the time you will find yourself circling the carpark for a lot. Happens all the time at suntec, vivo, marina square etc. It's like im paying to enter the driving school circuit. Circle round and round and round. And that's only the entry. Apparently at vivo, you have to queue to get out. Ridiculous... OH and not to mention those idiots who get out of their cars and run around the carpark to look for a space and when they see it, they quickly run to the lot and stand on it till their friend drives to that lot... omg... why not use a tissue paper instead... just in case some driver might decide to ignore your presence on the lot and just drive over you... drivers like me...

Thirdly, with all the new ERP gantries opening up everywhere, money from our cash cards are magically disappearing as we cruise down our highways. Oh wait, i can't use the word 'cruise'. Apparently, even though im paying to use the expressways which is suppose to be EXPRESS, it's not. I find myself joining the whole bunch of idiots who just paid to enter a bigger traffic jam. So what's the point of placing the ERP and increasing the price?! Instead, they have decided to add more gantries! Rumor has it that someone snuck into LTA(is it LTA? which ever government agency in charge of ERP la) and saw their future plans. Apparently by the year 2010, gantries will be situated at every housing entrance. The moment the car leaves the gate, *di*, 5 dollars gone.

It is no surprise the use of public transport is increasing. (except the cabs... omg dun get me started on how bloody expensive taking a cab is nowadays...) So ditch our cars and lets all take public transport! This will make all the buses and trains even more packed during peak hour. Which will help me in my cause. Amazing Race! Come to Singapore again!

Pick us again!

2008-02-11T21:03:00.000+08:00

Probably one of the most boring category in the emmies is Best Reality TV show. This is because every year, The Amazing Race will win. I am not an amazing race fan, but as they enter their one hundred and thirty one season( you mean its less than that? It refuses to disappear like days of our lives!), there is one thing i realise about that game. They never fail to go to India.

Apparently the producers of the show love to watch the contestants squeeze into crowded buses, navigate their way through overpopulated markets and sympathise some poor kids along the way. Or at least they think we the audience love to watch them suffer there.

With this, i would like to appeal to the producers of The Amazing Race to come back to Singapore again! Yeah i know you guys came once and it was totally boring. Apparently all we had to offer was Phua Chu Kang, HDBs and our fountain of wealth at suntec. We even showed you our zoo, which you can find in every other country. But i mean where do you expect us to bring you guys to? The movies? (which happens to be the only thing Singaporeans can do when they are out.)

But the other day, as i was travelling on MRT, it hit me! We can offer you our peak hour public transport system! You heard me right! We offer you an alternative to what India offers you. I think by now, we are quite bored of seeing caucasians squeezing into a bus full of indians. So come to Singapore, and make your contestants squeeze into a train/bus full of unfriendly singaporeans! We offer you the same sardine packed situation. You will not be able to breath because the people around you will either smell of really bad BO or really strong cologne, something you will not get in India(except the BO part).

Just to give you an example. That day on the train, it was so packed, i was pressed against this lady. Our bodies were facing each other, but we refused to look at each other. I couldn't help but sneak occasional glaces to see what's her expression. Could see that she was probably day dreaming that she was in a large field running around lilies and daisies. I almost wanted to burst into laughter. Then some idiot behind me kept pushing me to get more space, which means i was being pressed harder against her... like grinding... then it wasn't so funny anymore. Actually... it got funnier. Thinking about it now... hehe...

And i bet i am not the only person who faces the problem of overcrowded buses and trains every day. So the people at amazing race. Seriously. Think about it. I am offering you a million dollar idea!

the minimum

2008-02-10T11:00:00.000+08:00

The chinese new year hols are coming to an end and i want to talk about the unspoken rule during CNY 08.

So i was at my big/first uncle's place(direct translation from chinese) on the first day of new year. All my relatives will gather there instead of visiting one house at a time. Thank God my relatives are quite smart. I would have died if i had to visit like 10 houses that day. The weather was so bloody hot, i was feeling fainty the entire time. Not to mention there was no AIRCON! Seriously. Invest in an aircon if you are planning to get the entire family of 10 siblings into your HDB.

But thats not the point. After collecting all the ang paos, i quickly escaped with my sister from those meaningless small talks and awkward silence after every 2 lines.
Relative: So finish your army?
Me: Yup. Just 2 months ago.
*5 seconds of silence*
Relative: Studying university?
Me: Yup. I will be heading to NYU in August.
Relative: Nan Yang University?
Me: No... New York University.
Relative: Wow...
*5 seconds of silence*
Relative: The chicken rice is really good ah.
Me: Yup.
*silence as we gobble down the food and quickly run back to the TV couch*

Again i have digress. I apologise. So i was home relaxing in my 16 degress airconditioned room. Decided to count my ang pao money. So i slowly open the ang paos. Alright fine. You got me. I ripped them open. And to my horror, i found a 2 dollar note in one ang pao. A. ONE. YI. SATU. One lonely pathetic 2 dollar note.

Seriously! I thought it was clear! In 2008, with all the inflation going on and price hike etc, i was quite sure there was this unspoken rule that in CNY 2008, the minimum ang pao sum is $4! I read about it on mypaper(that free paper that has english and chinese on it. I read it every morning. The english section that is. hehe) that everyone agreed $4 is the minimum.

$2! What can you buy with that miserable $2! You can't even get a plate of chicken rice or a bowl of wanton mee. And i wont be surprise if the $2 shop has disappeared from existance. $2! That barely covers my transportation cost to the house if i took public transport! (Public transport for CNY visitation... omg... kudos to those who did that...)

Then of course i read the section on the mypaper which someone commented:"I don't mind $2. It's the thought that counts anyway." THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS?! Firstly, it's TRADITION to give ang pao, who cares about the thought. Secondly, if you consider the thought, you will be fuming mad. The thought that is probably racing through that miser's head is "ok so if i give $2, and my siblings give at least $4, then i earn at least $2 per kid! Whoot! I love Chinese New Year! Big money Big money!"

Then i sense some people will throw rotten eggs at me saying "But they might be in a financial crisis!" I tried to put myself in their shoes... Nope i still think giving $2 is out of the question. How many relatives can you possibly have? Is setting aside $100 for CNY too ridiculous? That will give you 25 kids to give out to! And it only happens once a year! It just shows poor planning of finance.

Ok i have said enough. If only i can remember who gave me that 2 dollar note... Anyway i will be using that 2 dollar note to buy something to ease my pain. Maybe rubber bands or something...

Im back!

2008-02-10T00:05:00.000+08:00

Yes thats right! Im back! I am so excited to start blogging again! And this time im going to focus more on issues. Issues which i believe are crucial to our society and should be looked into. Maybe i will blog a lil about my life. After all, it is full of drama n comedy and you people just love to get a scoop of other people's life so i shall not deprive you of that. But thats not the point. The point is to talk about these issues. And on my debut return post, i shall talk about this issue which i just cant believe is happening. The issue of the tissue paper booking system.

I heard about it from my sister and from Jason Hahn's books(read them! they are drop dead hilarious!) but i never really seen it in action so i thought maybe it doesnt happen often. But to my horror, on my first day of temp work at raffles place(yes.. i will talk about my exciting job some other time), when i went to amoy street hawker centre to eat, tissue paper packets were EVERYWHERE.

I don't mean on the floor. It was lying on all the chairs. I was absolutely shocked. Not so about how audacious and inconsider singaporeans are to use tissue paper packets to book their seats, but of how we singaporeans actually ACCEPT it and allow it to happen. It's absolutely amazing.

I know singaporeans are often inconsiderate and not very friendly people(land of 4 million smiles?! PUI). I have learnt to accept that. But the fact that singaporeans actually allow this booking system to be put in place either proves that my previous theory is wrong and that singaporeans are actually considerate and patient and understanding, or we are just plain stupid.

After much thinking, i just know the former is impossible. My 21 years here have shown me that. Just walk into any bus or train in the morning and say 'Good morning!' to any singaporean. You will then realise in the Singapore dictionary, there is no such thing as a good morning. You will only get a black face to 'brighten up' your day.

So it has to be the latter. Singaporeans are stupid. I hate to admit it, being a singaporean myself. But can there be another explanation to why we acknowledge such a stupid booking system?

The worst part of it all is that even though i think it's stupid, i comply to it as well, walking in circles around the hawker centre hoping to find an empty table when there are empty tables everywhere. Oh wait. They aren't empty. They are occupied. By Tissue Papers!