Life in 2008

This post is written in such a way that, in years down the road I want to know my life in 2008, I’ll just have to visit this entry.

January – March: This year is the first whereby I start the year when the exams are a few weeks down the road. In Poly, exams are in Feb, which coincides with Chinese New Year. Exams in the midst of the chinese festive! So, wasn’t in much of a mood to celebrate as before. Its during this time when I first started to study overnight with friends, mostly my classmates as well as schoolmates. I consider it the best period throughout my poly life yet, considering how I loathe being in the current course then. After about a year of absence, I suddenly appear to work at Mac on the first day of CNYand it felt like I just came back home! Ever since then, I’d became the Sunday Boy who prepare hotcakes every Sunday morning.

Then came the year end vacation and it marked the end of Year 1 in Poly, and once again, I’m tempted to leave this course.Initially I wrote a letter to try to get into the new Psychology Diploma, and it failed. Then I attempted to apply to transfer to Diploma in Consumer Science & Technology, whereby I get $800 every month during poly period, go for 1 year NIE course and graduate to be a Home Economics teacher. For a few weeks, Mr. HHH and Mr. A helped me to write letter and prepare me for interview. In the end, I didn’t get in. So they helped me to get into business course. Well, my O Level results are good enough to enter, but by the time I apply, the fresh school leavers had all occupied the vacancies and left none for me. I tried to go private studies. Joshua told me about the course he took then, Diploma in Positive Psychology. Went to checked out the modules and liked it. But then money is a problem.

Felt very disappointed and lost during these months, and thanks Mr. A who sponsored me a Lebanese Psychic reading, who told me both pleasing and disturbing stuff. Pleasing to hear that I’ll do well through my life, that I’ll be well-to-do next time but not so rich. That my first girlfriend will be during my university days, that I got two girlfriends before I settled down, and I may marry an Angmoh whom I met during campus life! (Wow, three girlfriends in university? Didn’t know the future me is such a flirt! ^_^ )  And he saw that I have one baby boy and one baby girl. He also say that I can excel in marketing if I’m into business. Disturbing to hear that I may kena heart attack! This period also mark the start of flyer distribution.

I got eleven friends from Broadrick and my course on a single and employ all at once at different schools, giving out cards simultaneously. I was fun and working with my beloved friends are awesome! If Mix closed down two shops and I’m laid off – no longer working in the airport. If I’m not wrong, its during this period I was introduced by Charlene to Ritz-Carlton Millennia Hotel’s Banquet, Singapore’s only six-star hotel. Got fired on the second day for spillage on customer. Spilling a glass of guinness stout on an Irish, Phew! If there’s a blame game, I can say that they let me work without giving me proper training, due to lack of manpower. Oh well. So I went with Kasturi, who’s looking for a job too, and went to many hotels in town seeking for job. Yet we couldn’t even found one. After that I decided to be a relief teacher. I applied online and got approved. Then I called around twenty schools! For weeks, no one called me back, as most likely I’m at the bottom of the waiting list. It’s on six months later, Macpherson called me up, and Chai Chee called up as well the following day.

Its time for election for the Toastmasters club. I tried my luck for presidency, and failed. Then I tried for vice-presidency and was elected, and that marked my next step in my Toastmaster journey.

Broadrick Red Cross was quite successful in the sec 1 CCA Orientation. Hopefully, the promotional video I made did help. And its the first time I saw my new sec 1 cadets, and for the first time, the boys outnumbered the girls – finally.

My first camp of the year was Red Cross West District Camp, as a OA 2IC, teaching OA and in charge of campfire.

April – June: It’s back to school. I was already in the ‘sian diao’ mood regarding my course and when I saw my new modules, my interest drop to almost 0%. It’s the beginning of UG Camp, and for weeks, the fellow UG instructors and I gathered to plan for the very first UG Camp in Broadrick. “Combined Effort for a Common Goal”. It’s my first time planning a camp, let alone at a scale of 100+! The camp was held in late May. Because of this camp, my NDP committment was doubted and that gave a bad impression on myself.

I decided to join NDP 2008. Didn’t know who are Nicky Sir and Wilson Teo Sir until I greet them as the in-charge of this year’s NDP Team. For almost all the saturdays in these months, I spent it with the NDP Team and cadets, at various schools and army camps – from Evergreen Sec to Nee Soon Camp to Bedok Camp. My role was Logistics IC, a role which I volunteered as I supposed everyone expected me to take it up, as other than the in-charge and commander, Me and Bao Yu were the only guys left, and without a doubt, we formed the Logistics Team, with Lugan Sir as a “Logistics Mentor”.

It was Broadrick Speech Day once again at this time of the year, and most of my thursdays and fridays are spent training the cadets on their drills. Ambrose Sir and I formed the parade marker – awesome experience. Though I still prefer flag-bearing which I did when I was Sec 4.

In Toastmasters, alot of politics were going on, and we lose the president – Making me co-vice president with Syed. Things were rough and weren’t going very smoothly, but we tried our best!

July – September: Through Toastmasters recruitment of new members, I get to know Amanda. And during these periods, we hanged out often overnight, either at each other place, or at Mac. Saturdays are now held at Marina Bay itself, and I went all the way up the floating platform, and that is cool. But as logistics IC, my priorities is looking after stuffs as well as cadets whom don’t feel well. And the NDP journey ends in August, and saturdays are feeling out of place, after being in a four-five months routine.

After NDP, I decided to take up the german language course. Since then, I spent every Wednesday evening at Goethe Institut learning a foreign language.

Things won’t going well in my family, especially between my parents. It’s complicating, worse than any TV drama. And apparently my mother was hospitalized, seemingly to be physically illed but I felt its more on the emotional and mental aspect. And a month later, my grandpa was hospitalized. He had a mild stroke. And at the same time, I’m having exams.

I was feeling down at this time as still, since the beginning of the year. So I decided to call for a change. A change in lifestyle. Soon things started to pick up in September during my school holidays. I launch my second flyer distribution at various schools. Macpherson Sec called me up during my first week of holiday, what a coincidence! I changed my diet – started eating raw food and become vegetarian; jogging daily and frequents the gym; my health improved drastically. My mood elevated out of months of slumps. September was indeed the best month of 2008.

October – December: It’s my birthday month, and I was still in happy mood. Liked on a girl whom I just met for the first time in this year, and oh well, I’m bad at handling girls. I decided to learn rollerblading. It’s back to school as well. Also, during this time Kie Wee suddenly appeared into the picture, ever since last year. I got internet connection at my convenience too for the first time! Apparently, after I spent my 18th birthday, things just started going down the hill. My new modules are very difficult. I went back to the state of depress. I had debts all over. I couldn’t afford to continue my raw food and vegetarian diet, and I had to resort to eating cheap hawker centre food which are unhealthy. I stopped my exercise scheme as well. My life just felt like it was peeling away. Everything isn’t looking well for me- money, relationships, family, friends, health, fitness and health. Coincidentally, I wasn’t the only one feeling this way during this period, because its the peak of the Credit Crunch! Many many people suffered from the current economic crisis, and there are many who are in deeper troubles than me. Well I couldn’t be bother about the economic crisis, well at least not very much. I’d rather focusing on taking charge of my life, and that will be my personal objective for 2009.

I go for movies and dinners often with Mr. HHH and Roy. They’re like my movie buddies. I’m like an “escapist” who goes to the movies to experience adventures as I can’t wait to experience my own ones yet. My favourite hangouts are Parkway Parade, Kallang Cineleisure, Town, Vivocity. And I love to eat at Kallang Airport Hawker Centre and Nihon Mura.

Actually, as compared to previous years, 2008 is considered much better for me. I’ve learnt alot, experience many new things and meet lots of new people. However, I’d like to do more in 2009, and reach a new height of success and happiness.

Final Fantasy VII: Zack’s Nemesis

=D

The “Wei Ren Cunning Smile”

Cool.

Team Macpherson!

Final Fantasy VII: Zack’s Nemesis

Emo Zack.

Oblivion

Nice background!

Cloud Strife

Cloud eating pork ribs and american hotdogs?

Emo Cloud

Now you know why its’ Zack’s Nemesis!

Christmas Gatherings

This year’s is more with family. Last Sunday was one Aunty Wendy’s housewarming-cum-christmas gathering at Toa Payoh.

On Christmas Eve, I spent the evening with my Macpherson students who asked me out like one month in advanced! Anyway, thanks for inviting me. We went to Hot Pot Culture @ Marina Square, and unfortunately the food is thumbs down… Imagine eating stir-fried dishes heavily doped with MSG and you get thirsty for hours! And their steamboat dishes are so average. Watched Bedtime Stories after that. Then we moved on with our photoshoot at the broad staircase of Marina Square and Esplanade. With us was a amateur photographer, Wye Keung, and Yong Quan, who cosplayed Cloud Strife. Damn, if only there’s Tifa Lockhart (i.e. Cloud’s girlfriend) as well. ^_^ We had a great time photoshooting, and if only I had a costume to cosplay too! Came unprepared.

On Christmas Day itself, I worked 11 hours long at Mac! After that met up with Mr HHH for dinner.

Yesterday, on Boxing Day was another cousin gathering with Aunt Wendy. Watched Twilight with them at The Cathay, ate Billy Bombers, walk walk at Marina Square and Esplanade and chill-out at Marina Mandarin. I had Singapore Sling!

Last Movies of 2008

Watched 3 movies this week – Yes Man, Bedtime Stories and Twilight.

A few days ago, I posted the first ever Zachary Movie Award to show my appreciate for 2008’s greatest movies and artistes. Tonight, I’d edited some of it, replacing Kellan Lutz with Peter Facinelli for the Hottest Angmoh Category; and adding Bugsy, the guinea pig in Bedtime Stories into the Cutest Animated/CGI Characters nomination

Yes Man is the one of Jim’s finest. Its a movie that only he can put it off; he defines the film. Can you imagine The Mask, Ace Ventura and Bruce Almighty, and now Yes Man being played by other actors? All these movies have one thing in common, and that is their male lead is one who is extremely energetic and expressive and entertains the audience at every moment of his scenes.

Bedtime Stories isn’t really my type. It’s a good for-8-yr-old though. The best part is Bugsy! The cutest guinea pig on Earth! Cuter than the two which I owned years ago.

Twilight is good + bad. Bad because the movie is so long-winded like a Taiwanese hokkien drama, when its supposed to be a Hollywood flick. Good because it brings a new perspective to vampirism. Its like vampire for the 21st century. Count Dracula going to High School!!! HAHA! And another reason for thumbs up is their casting. Its really their casting that draw the crowds. So many girls are crazy over Robert Pattinson. Funny that no one talks about him when he appeared in the latest Harry Potter movie. I prefer Peter Facinelli, who act Dr. Calisle Cullen in the film. This is one of the few movies which I find the male out-hot the gals. Anna Kendrick and Kristen Price is soooo girl-next-door(i.e. average/country girl). It’s Ashley Greene who really got the X-factor but disappointingly, she doesn’t appear much in the movie, and I prefer her in long hair! Amazingly, so many gals are reading movie-novels nowadays, especially Twilight.

I’m working on the 2009 movie listing.

Merry Christmas 2008!

To all Earthlings, Merry Christmas! =)

Though I’m not a christian, but I do like the following carol:

 

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let Earth receive her King;

Let every Heart, Prepare Him room,

And Heaven and Nature sing,

And Heaven and Nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and Nature sing.”

 

Have you been naughty or nice this year? Santa’s give present to those who are nice. ;P

Let’s be a Civilised, Considerate and Courteous Citizen

It’s nothing new, but for the past two weeks, I’d noticed and observed many acts which I would discourage people to do. It keeps occuring and occurring so much so that I find it very disturbing and just want to do something about it, and here I am, writing it here, reaching out to you, my readers, whom so happens to be a citizen of Earth, who maybe ought to be, or at least a little, civilised, considerate and courteous.

The following examples are some of those acts which disturbs me:

• A colleague of mine littered his/her workplace.
• A man whom I saw red-handed spitting on the concrete ground while seating on the bustop seat.
• A woman who shell prawns in the bus and throw it all on the bus floor.
• Buses with the last row of seats especially vandalised with contact numbers for sexual services.
• A man who spitted chewing gum into a woman’s hair in the train station.
• A man who wanted two seats for himself in the bus and unwilling to share.
• A friend of mine who I caught red-handed, spitted under a cinema seat.
• Groups of people who left the tables along East Coast Park without throwing away their leftover rubbish.
• Dog-owners who don’t dispose their dogs’ faeces along parks.
• Smokers who dump their cigarette buds anywhere and step on it.
• Residents urinate and littered their own lifts.
• Residents who throw unwanted flyers out of the block while walking along the corridor from the lift.
• Passengers who squeeze their sweet wrappers into the small openings at the side of the buses.
• Customers eating meaty food in the hawker centre or food court, who left their seats, with the bones and chewed parts on the table, expecting cleaners to pick them up and throw them away.
• Customers who sweep leftover bits of food from previous occupants, off the table.
• Passengers who remove their shoes and rest their legs on bus seats.
• Passengers who does not take the initiative to move in in crowded buses, leaving a big gap at the back while the front people are squeezed, worse is until people can’t even board!

The list just goes on…

Some of it are featured on The New Paper on Sunday. On the 14th December 2008 edition, the cover story is: “Are We Growing Old Disgracefully?” I felt that the fingers shouldn’t be pointed solely on our elders, because people of all ages does it. I do often see elders spitting and littering, there’s when I’d then ponder on this thought: “Hey, I thought that these elders worked hard to make Singapore what she is today, and now you’re dirtying it, instead of taking care and loving it? It doesn’t make sense! It’s like, will you dirty your house, which you have a sense of belonging to?”

Sometimes I just feel very disappointed, and pissed especially when I can’t do anything about it. Sometimes in buses, I feel like telling those people off who don’t move it, but I didn’t. I’d just stare at them and shake my head, hoping they get the hint. Most of the time they don’t, or they don’t care. When I see people spit, I feel like teaching them a lesson and punch their punch so they spit out blood instead of phlegm.

I really feel disappointed that we humans, who can fly to the moon, make thousands of nuke that can destroy Earth thousands of time, yet still commit to such acts! Hey I mean if I’m an alien and I come visit Earth and I see a crowded bus with people trying to squeeze in from the front, but I saw a huge gap at the back and no one’s closing in… I’m like, What the F*ck! What’s wrong with Humanity!!! It’s certainly ludicrous – pathetic and absurd. Just that its disappointing rather than laughing at it.

Why I like Star Trek and why some many does is because, we are watching a series which portrays humanity’s future, which is more evolved and mature from the present. That’s the age where humanity has no greed and violence, and we explore space as a civilised race. Do you think at that time humanity will still spit around? Will people drink and conveniently dump their cans anywhere? In the future, humanity is a model of civilisation, of consideration and of courtesy. Evolution is inevitable, its just a matter of time. Why not now?

In terms of this post, there are two types on human; the human of the 3 Cs – Civilised, Considerate and Courteous; and the human who is not the 3 Cs. I strongly urge you and everyone else to be the human of the 3 Cs, and spread the message around.

What we can do at the very least is to do the act of the 3 Cs ourselves and be a role model. Certainly we can’t force people to do it – would you want to punch blood out of people who spits too? I’ve done my part and would like to share it with you:

• When eating in public eateries, I clear all the leftovers into one plate and stack the plate and wipe the tables. Cleaners just have to collect the plates and utensils with one hand and wipe the table once.
• When I drink finish from a disposal container, I’d throw away my ice or liquid onto drain or grass patch and throw the plastic cup/can/bottle into the bin. This helps to prevent leakage and pungent in the bin and lessen the load and smell for the cleaners.
• In the bus, especially crowded ones, I’ll move all the way back to the maximum I can and hint others to move as well, if they doesn’t.
• I always throw my litters in the bin. When there isn’t one, I’d keep it in my pocket and throw later into a bin.

Actually, if you want to argue why are we littering and doing such stuff, you can actually observe our ancestors. Those early humans, who hunt with rockhead spears and cook with fire – do they do area cleaning after the fire died, and clear up the carcasses after consuming the preys’ flesh? I guess they’ll just leave it and move on, being nomads. Oh well, maybe those who stay in the caves did make sure their caves are clean. So maybe we are born to litter, or are we born to keep our habitat clean?

But now things are different. Those people can afford to litter – everywhere is earth and carcasses can decompose anywhere. But now we have plastics and metal wastes as well! And earth isn’t everywhere! Concrete is! So we can’t expect to throw a plastic bag into a drain and expect it to be disappear! Yes, it’ll disappear as wind or water will move it away but, it will still be around somewhere. It’s a common sight to see plastic bags floating along beach coasts.

Now, where do you think those plastics and all non-degradable stuffs will end up? You learn that oceans have current right? Apparently all these stuffs from all over the world clump together at one part of the Pacific Ocean, forming a swirling mass of plastic, which is currently known to be twice the size of the Texas, which is hundreds of time bigger than Singapore! This swirling mass is known as, “The Great Eastern Patch” or the “Plastic Soup”, as it lies between Japan and USA. Refer to the links below for more:

http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/health-fitness/Our_oceans_are_turning_into_plastic_are_we_2.shtml

http://ourdescent.wordpress.com/2007/05/24/about-that-giant-mass-of-plastic-floating-around-in-the-ocean/

http://infinity.usanethosting.com/forum/messages/732.html

http://aquafornia.com/archives/category/beaches/pacific-ocean-garbage-dump

Another point we should take note is that, if we don’t clear our shit, someone will. When I saw my colleague kick the fries underneath so know one will notice and he/she doesn’t need to pick it up and rather let it rot, and some drops on the floor and doesn’t bother to pick it up. If you litter one day, someone and someday, it will be cleared. The point is, why let others be responsible for your rubbish? They don’t deserve to, it doesn’t make sense! Consumers are responsible for what they consume. Do you like to be responsible for something others consume and not you? Would you like to go around picking up soft drink cans when you don’t even enjoy drinking these cans you’re responsible for! I’ve heard that in Japan, there’s an ‘unspoken etiquette’ that in public eateries, people clear their own plates and utensils just like schools’ canteen, and that as there aren’t many public dustbins around, Japanese keep their trash and throw it when they reach home. If only everyone is a Japanese in this sense.

Irony is always present – Adults/parents will always say they don’t want to buy expensive stuffs for their young kids, as they don’t deserve it because they don’t cherish it and are irresponsible to those stuff. But how about ourselves? Do we deserve the convenience we enjoy right now, if we use it irresponsibly?

Singapore is known to be a Clean and Green City. Come, lets do our part to maintain reputation. And to all Earth Citizens, lets make Earth a Clean and Green Planet.

Let’s wait no longer and from now onwards be a civilised, considerate and courteous being.

Week 1 of Cards Distribution

Yesterday and today was Day 4 and 5 of cards distribution. Kie Wee and I covered whole stretch of Upper East Coast Road all the way to Bedok Road (Bedok Camp there), but we lack of cards halfway today, and did not complete the entire estate. It’s known as the Lucky Heights Estate. We visited a total of 5654 houses in total!

Assuming each unit is 15m wide, (15×5654)/1000 = 84.81km.

Plus Day 1-3, the total houses visited is 3650 + 5654 = 9304 houses.

(9304×15)/1000 = 139.56km!

Next week I shall continue to work with these four friends!

Found myself in the States

While checking my blog stats just now, I was shocked when I saw the phrase people typed to reach my blog,

[ “Wei Ren” cause of death]

So I when to google it and my blog was on second page.

http://www.chicagomaroon.com/2008/11/18/wei-ren-mathematics-phd-student-dead-at-26

The link above leads to the cover report of a 26 years old Shanghainese who’s a Ph.D student in Mathematics who taught and study in a University in Chicago, whose death last month is still a mystery.

My condolescences to Wei Ren (Him, not myself!).

Ip Man

 Ip Man- Pronounced as Yip-Mun in canton. 叶问 (Ye-Wen) in mandarin.

Donnie Yen plays Ip Man, the most skilled martial artists in the town of Fo Shan. Then came the Japanese Occupation and the story unfolds as he unite the town against the merciless invaders.

It’s one of the best kung-fu movie I’d ever watched. For the following reasons:

• The kung-fu scenes are exciting and long
• The plot is inspiring and interesting (based on a true story)
• Donnie Yen portrays the character very well
• It provides a sense of inspiration to take home from the cinema

Ip Man is the grandmaster of the martial art style, 咏春拳 (Yong-Chun-Quan). Known as Wing Chun in English, literally means “Eternal Spring”.  Legend has it that it was founded by a nun during the later part of Qing Dynasty.

During WWII, he was intimidated to teach the Japanese Troops Wing Chun. Courageous he was, he turned them down, risking execution.

Bruce Lee was one of his many disciples when he opened a martial arts school in Hong Kong.

A must-watch for kung-fu lovers!

 

photo credits:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Yipman.jpg

http://www.wuxiasociety.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=206&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=165&sid=41e6c6c0a0f6588f11115fa9a694ffdc

The Day The Earth Stood Still

“It’s only at the brink of crisis, then willingness gets into place.”

Keanu Reeves, an extraterresterial arrived on Earth. His mission is to save Earth, which is perishing soon if humanity does not change its actions and attitude towards her. He came to warn us that if we don’t change, we’ll perish. However we hadn’t been a gracious host towards him, and he perceives that humanity shall perish in order to save Earth, and other species. In the midst of Armageddon, Jennifer Connelly showed him to good side of humanity and that we will change. He decided to end the extinction process, and stopped all machineries and electronics, before leaving Earth, on the day the Earth stood still.

This movie sends us a message; that sometimes the only way for one to change, is to make it the only choice, or perish.

 photo credit: http://www.elasticpop.com/access/2008/07/

Ubin Race and Ip Man

Had a hard time waking up at 0545 and get to Changi Jetty at 0720. The boat trip at this time is awesome! It’s Temasek Polytechnic’s Applied Science Studies Club’s Green Interest Group’s Ubin Race! (Gosh, what a long name!) To cut short is, TP’s ASC’s GIG’s Ubin Race! 12 teams are deployed around the island to complete 4 stations. I’m neither a member of ASC or GIG, it just so happen that this event’s organisers are Sharon and Zhen Han, and it just so happen that they are my classmate and good friends, and it just so happen that they lack of first aiders, and it just so happen that I’m a trained first aider, and it just so happen that I’m a nice guy who won’t turn down friends who need help. My role as a first aider is to walk routinely up and down one of the earth trail. Apparently there’s an earth trail and a road.

I’m the only official who are not part of the CCA, so abit outcast. Well my purpose of today was to help my friends, that’s all. And perhaps revisit Ubin. But today I had some wonderful time chatting with two lecturers, Mark and especially my form teacher, Care Person they call it, Chris.

I asked Mark whether is our industry (ie. chemical industries) recession-proof? And he said NO! Oil prices dropped from US$150 to $40, and the oil companies aren’t making money! Later on I went to find Chris and we literally chatted for hours about anything under the sun, under the sun! The afternoon sun sunburned me! Chris is a nice guy. His philosophy, like many others: “Life is short, why be angry?” Now I know how easily he live and let live things. He and Kenneth are the only two lecturers who DOESN’T GET ANGRY AT ALL! They really have god-like patience. I’m fortunate to be in my present class – wonderful classmates I have, wonderful form teacher I have. I learnt that my course has got many lecturers who are army officers! There’s a few 2nd and 1st Lieutenant, as well as Captain.

Watched Ip Man after coming back from Ubin. It’s one of the best martial arts film I’ve ever watched in my whole life. It features a particular branch of chinese martial arts called Yip Chun. Basically the show’s like this:

A kung-fu master who created the Yip Chun style was the most powerful master in the town of Fu Shan (Buddha Mountain), somewhere in Southern China, where this town was famous for its huge martial artist population. After gaining a wonderful reputation within and outside the town as being undefeatable, WWII soon follow suits and drove the town towards hunger and poverty. The Japs soon took notice of his supreme skills and wanted him to impart his skills to the Jap soldiers, which he refused. And the show goes on to show his courage, moral and dignity as a man.

A must-watch! It’s one of the best work of Donnie Yen.

Saw Andrea for the first time since he went Army. I really respect his capabilities, and he indeed has an army officer’s flair. People who often vulgars blame the army days for causing that. Well I think that just an excuse – I don’t see Andrea sprout any of those words!

The sunburn was bad. The previous time was two months ago while cycling at East Coast Park. It’s painful even when I just rub my face! Just now in the cinema, I felt cold inside, yet my skin was hot. I’m like stuck between temperatures!

Start of House-to-House Distribution

It’s Day 3 of house-to-house name card distribution.

Day 1 (Monday) – 317 cards with Veronica @ Mountbatten Private Estate(30% completed) 2.5 hours

Day 2 (Tuesday) – 1248 cards with Li Rong @ Frankel-Siglap-Opera Estate (50% completed) 6 hours

Day 3 (Wednesday) – 2100 cards with Jin Lin and Zaneta @ Telok Kurau Estate (100% completed) 7.5hours

In total, I’ve visited close to 3650 houses!

Let’s assume 1 private house, be it a terrace, semi-D, bungalow, mansion or apartment, to be 15m wide.

(15×3650 )/1000 = 54.75km, and reality is definitely more than that!

That’s like Standard Chartered Marathon’s full distance!

On Monday we bumped into a stranger who gave out flyers as well. So I asked him how much he got paid…

$20 per 1000 flyers?!?!?! And its private housing somemore! That’s like walking 15km for $20! 2cents per flyer!

I’m so much nicer to my friends – I paid them 5cents per flyer! Each earn $100 by giving out 2000 flyers. I believe its above market rate. I asked a few people and got rejected by some. But I’m contented with 5 person – the four listed above plus Kie Wee.

I chose the right people to work with! They’re energetic and the journey wasn’t boring with them around. We get to talk cock and chat alot! We ain’t had many opportunities to do that. Well Veronica and Li Rong are my mac colleagues while the other two are my Broadrick juniors. Hmmm, Zan’s pretty quiet though, it’s Jin Lin whose the talkative one. I think I’ve done a good deed! I mean, what more can you ask for when you can get to work with your best friend! These two girls are inseparable! But well, imagine doing with a partner who ain’t responsive at all and appears mute all the time! Thankfully they aren’t like that!

My house seems to become an office! Since last year, I’ve brought more than 15 friends whom came to my house for the first time for these jobs. My grandpa didn’t care anyway, he trust I won’t bring a baddy home.

It rained when we walked the Mountbatten Estate half-way through and we called it a day after two hours.

The twist and turns, up and down those hills at Siglap was just too much to complete in a single day. We took 7.5 hours to complete half of the area!

Today was Telok Kurau Estate. Covering Lorong G all the way to N, as well as East Coast Road and St. Patrick Road. It’s just opposite my house! And for also many years until now, I’ve never known what’s opposite where I lived! The girls left after 75% completion and left the remaining for me to do alone. And from 7pm till 9.45pm, I was all alone, legs wobbling and mind-tired, giving out the cards house to house. In fact I had roller blade lesson this morning!

I’m so tired now… But I ain’t have enough time for a long sleep. I have to report at 7pm at Changi Jetty, for TP’s ASc’s Ubin Race @ Pulau Ubin. The organisers, whom so coincidentally are my good friends and classmates, Sharon and Zhen Han, approached me to be one of their first aiders since weeks ago! Well, if not for them, I rather have a 10 hours sleep till noon tomorrow and give out more cards for the day.

Instead, I shall catch a movie, Ip Man, with Kie Wee and Mr HHH tomorrow evening.

Until then.

A Pub-ish Weekend

Roy, Kie Wee, Mr HHH, Robin and I drove towards Cineleisure for a night movie last Friday; The Day the Earth Stood Still. It’s so damn nice and I shall dedicate a post for it later.

After that, we went to Duxton Blue, a pub which, coincidently, both Robin and Kie Wee frequents! It’s the second pub which I went to. Each of us except Mr HHH drank two glass of tiger beer. Though I’m not bad a drinker, but I’m not a drinker; it’s really once in a blue moon. Roy, who’s a frequent clubber, describe it as a “Cheena Pub”! Well, fair enough, all the waitresses are from China, and they practically were the only females there! Ain’t many female customers!

The situation is somewhat worth describing; all five of us are doing different thing in the pub. Mr HHH walked out after 5 mins. Roy was giving that “WTH am I doing here?” look, Robin was smilingly sipping beer and waiting for his turn to sing karaoke while gorging at waitresses, Kie Wee flirted and smiled enthusiastically as if he’s saying “I’ve arrived in paradise!”

What about me? I was busy observing the sights and sounds. The pub is like a 3-room flat big, with a bar-top, pool table, and filled with 40-50 plus people. Basically what I saw that customer does in there is

• Play Pool
• Sing Karaoke
• Wait 20min to sing one song per table
• Drink beer/ liquor
• Play cards/dice
• Chat with friends
• Flirt with waitresses
• Try to get their number

Given the space that small, the light dimmed, and the whole place louder than a lower-sec recess, I find it enigmatic that people would choose to do such things there. No offense intended, because I’m sure every customers have their reasons to get their bum in there, be it because you’re desperate for sulty situations, or to drown your feelings with alcohol. But I really wonder how can one chat with friends in such places, but its a perfect situation to chat up girls, because you have a reason to “whisper into their ears”…

$22 for a jug of beer? I was *flabbergasted* when I learnt of that! And two jugs of those?! Ok… I rather go katong pool where its well lighted. Go kbox sing without waiting, play cards at the void deck comfortably, chat with friends at east coast, go town to people-watch, drink alcohol at friends’ place. I guess this’s a better package. All less than $44! And more worth it!

I also sensed a common traits in most of the customers; they are act as if trying to take advantage of the girls! If cheap thrills are what pub’s for…

So,those uncles there spending hundreds over on cheap thrills, its not so cheap afterall.

Unless there’s some really very special reasons (ie. giving away money), I’ll never suggest going to such places.

Sem 2.2’s Term Break

Today marks the end of term tests and the beginning of term break! Two weeks without school. I lovvveee holidays!

People like to use this phrase in their sacarsm list, ‘eh, you waiting for christmas arh?!’ Oh yes, its finally here. Two parties in the lineup! Three actually, but had to turn down for the other.

My bestie, Roy is going overseas(again!) on a student exchange to Shanghai for 3.5weeks! Not gonna spend christmas and new year with him this year…

I’ve got internet connection at home!

This ain’t any ordinary entry! This is my first time blogging directly from home – typing this on my desk with my bed behind me!

Woohoo! Finally I own an internet connection! Today, I went to Starhub@ Plaza Singapura and signed up one of its Christmas promotion on the MaxMobile plans. MaxMobile SurfLite, 2Mbps plan @ $27.10/month. Usual price is $38.72/month- offer of 30%. And I got the USB Modem stick worth $298 for free! Just that SIM activation cost $37.45 and there’s registration fee of $10.70. Yes, in it is a SIM card, with its own number, and I can sms through my laptop!

Got Mr HHH to thank for urging me to sign up!

I don’t even have to wait for days to activate it! I sign up today, I get online today!

All in all, I’m satisfied with this deal. I’ve got more than what I bargained for! -Another contact number and I get to get online at practically anywhere within Singapore!

No more late stayover at my aunt house or mac to do online research till wee hours. Neither do I have to depend on the school’s network! Now I can finally experience surfing on my bed!

It feels great! Like a sense of freedom. It’s just like the time when I got my first handphone seven years ago!

Being 18 is awesome. I signed this up without anyone from my family knowing, because I don’t need their signature to sign up. I’m paying for myself anyway.

Well, well… one item done on the Intention List! What’s next up for manifestation?