Happy. Now. That's what matters.

There must have been moments of epiphany where you make a decision that you guess you would reap the benefits of 3, 5 maybe 10 years down the road of life.

That 3, 5, 10 long years may never come. I am not pessimistic. Just awkwardly realistic at times. Awkward because while you know that life is fragile yet you plan ahead. Way ahead. Substituting instant gratification for delayed gratification.

It's important to remember the happy times that has passed. Some people think it is important to feel slightly depraved now to be happy later. I think it is very important to be happy now.

I can spend money on my needs and wants. Not caring about the storm that continues to whip through the US economy and affecting every mothers' son. Why should I read that report on what to do with the current US and World market in turmoil? Actually, I don't know what material goods will make me happy. I cannot remember shopping recently. Actually, I think treating my family to a nice meal, spending time at home can actually make me happy. As would spending time with auntie. Or lulu!

There are lots of ups going on in my life right now. Shouldn't let a single downer rock the boat.

October promises to be a month that caters to my wanderlust. I am giving up my date with Camera Obscura (damn!) to head to France for a working trip (at least that is the plan now, subjected to changes.) And of course, Phuket this weekend.

I am looking forward to enjoying my holiday with auntie in Phuket this coming weekend. Being a *ahem* seasoned traveler to Phuket, I have opted to stay at Kata Beach Resort. It's pretty exciting this time around traveling with auntie cause the last two times I was here, I was always alone. Breakfast time would be nicer having somebody else across the table. Beach strolls would be more relaxing holding auntie's hand. And very importantly, I can drink and eat to my heart's content, knowing I have a tough time upon returning home.


By the way, I am making this stupid action of double spacing after a full stop because that is required under some directive on writing a document in my workplace. So stupid. Doh!

Tag Cloud

Made a tag cloud.




Rudimentary looking.

Will tweak it as necessary.

F1 - Initial

Found my sis's pic on the F1 website. I cannot reproduce without kind permission.
Check out the link here.
Her pic is found on the last column (5th from the left), 6th row. Shows her next to another Una girl, wearing Red Bull headsets. Sis is the one on the right, girl on the left is Esther (I think).

She was kind enough to call me at 1918H on Sunday (Finals) to tell me she has a spare Start/Finish grandstand seat. Which is amongst the Paddock Grandstand. Which is worth more than $2.5k. Which she has only one. Which she told me 42 minutes before flag off (ok, she probably didn't have a choice).

So I stayed with auntie to watch the start of the race, went for dinner, returned to the race and realised that we had missed all the exciting moments - Nelson Piquet Jr's crash (strategic crash?), Massa's mess in the pit and Alonso's miraculous climb from 12 (he had climbed from 15 to 12 when we left for dinner) to pole (strategic win via strategic pitting?).

After following the sport for 4 years, I can understand what is happening during the qualifying rounds, what is the "2 hour maximum" rule, what may determine the choice of a 1/2/3 pit strategy, why tyres matter and why the bloody flag-off traffic lights don't show green while the flag-off for the formation lap prior to the start does and why the Singapore grandprix requires 61 rounds but not 60 or 62.

mindf87k

Humans are curious by nature.

If there is an accident along the highway, we slow down not to be cautious but to be busybodies.

We want to read about celebrity gossips, hence the popularity of tabloids.

So when friends send emails with the subject title that says "Boobies!", most guys will run a scan to check for virus and then open the document, usually a powerpoint presentation, wary about prying eyes darting in the background.

When the slides are loaded, you see pics like these:

There is another variety where there are really beautiful looking females who appear to be in some sort of a pageant. And after lusting through the pics for a minute or so, it is revealed that they are all transvestites which taunts you to ask if there is anything different about your sexuality.

mindf87ked!

Big Phuket Deal

So this is the 3rd straight year I am heading to Phuket for the Vegetarian Festival.

Great bokeh, lousy color

But this time I am bringing a my girlfriend along!

=)

My pic

Somebody is using my pic on his site.

So should I feel good or bad about it?

here.

The pic of the stretch of beach outside Nirwana Beach Resort in Bintan was taken....hmm... 3-4 years ago?

my flickr here.

I cannot remember where I read this......

When they said that computer games were a bad influence, what were they thinking? That we'll grow up and run around frantically to the sounds of bleepy music along dark corridors while looking for coloured pills along dark corridors?

P.S. We were at zouk's main room and Brendon P was doing this brilliant electro-tech housey set. Sounded almost retro (like Underworld and Orbital). This group of 7-8 girls in their late teens or early twenties who looked like they were off their tits was dancing and screaming right in front of a work-week worn Pin, mong and me. I turned around and told pin that they seemed really young and to be having a great time. Pin said, "If that is what it feels like to be young, I wanna be young again."



Made the memories of my weekends 6 years back so much more bittersweet.

wakeboard

tried wakeboarding this weekend.

i think it's one of those sports i tried that i will potentially never get "it".

it's so difficult.

Things to look out for

Things to look out for.

Keane's new album.
Snow Patrol's new album.
Glasvegas' debut album.

I want to ride my bicycle

Over the past two weeks, I was closing up night shifts with Singapore's BMX guru Simon.

Who happens to be a colleague. He represented Singapore as rider/judge/manager and continues to do so.

I searched around the net for pics of my 2 bicycles I had.

First was a replica Haro BMX: in Big Bird Yellow.

Which was "misplaced" at transformer station near my old home at Whampoa.

The other was an IronHorse AT70. The neighbourhood police liked my bike so much they decided to purchase several AT110 for their policemen on bike patrols. They no longer go on bike patrols. This bike of mine was also "misplaced" at the 11th storey of the current block where I live in.

When will Singapore be bike-friendly?

It's the little things

Way way back in 2004, I remember a certain Colonel had asked the 5 of us who were on course what would we like to achieve in the navy.

Some wanted to command a ship. Some wanted to command a squadron. Those were the answers by the other 4 of them who were from the same squadron. Mine was a simple "To do my best in my next appointment."

The Colonel was disappointed.

During his days as a junior officer, himself and his peers dreamed of becoming the Chief of Navy, Fleet Commander and the likes. He said they were hungry for success. Which he deemed was lacking in the current generation of naval officers - this ambitious drive to be recognised.

I took offence.

We went into a little discussion that continued over two weeks and culminated one night as we were returning to base after a sea sortie for a live-firing exercise.

My argument was that the measure of one's success is not about the accolades that were lauded upon him/her. Rather it is how we have conducted ourselves within our capacity, to the best of our capabilities and be contented that we can be sure that we could have given no more. I struck a nerve when I continued by mentioning that while every dad may dream of becoming the best dad in the world but really it's about how your sons or daughters think of you that matters most. No "Best Dad in the World .... Ever!" is going to count for anything if your own children don't think that way of you.

It struck a raw nerve because he related to us how he found it difficult to be around for his son, especially so when he was a single parent.

I said that one will be held in high esteem if he took care of the minutes, the little things, because the hours will take care of themselves. There is no point in being the Chief of Navy or Fleet Commander if you were not remembered for being a good shipboard officer, department officer, executive officer.

That night as we were going into harbour, he conceded that my point was valid but it should not stop one from dreaming big. I agreed of course as that was never an intention, doing one's best is not incongruent to being lauded.

Lulu @ Bishan Park Dog Run

A Dog Run is basically a place where dogs are given free rein (or set free from their reins) to run about within the confines of a fenced area. There are a number of Dog Runs in Singapore. This is the second time for Lulu at the Bishan Dog Run.

First up are a few shots of Lulu chasing around, wagging both her tail as well as her tongue.

Full frontal glory

Looking menacing

In desperate need of rest

Run has given up to trot

There were many other dogs in the Dog Run. The dog belonging to the lady in the middle is a feisty little bugger. Picking on dogs twice its size. The owner is actually reprimanding her dog for being aggressive to the bigger dog (with the black coat, with its back turned). Miffed, the little fellow continued barking at other dogs.

I was there with my sister - La Formula Una girl (haha) - ok enough already. We both realised that Lulu is an attention seeker. She'd rather go to strangers than us for attention.

This is not the only guy she hoodwinked. Many other strangers, young and old, male and female, were enticed by her comehither looks.

Red Bull

Sis is a La Formula Una girl!!!

So proud lah hahaha...

Bring me lots of souvenirs ok? And if you need to polish up on your F1 knowledge, ahem...let me know. Hahaha....

The portraits were done couple of weekends ago at her request at West Coast Park. One of my few attempts at portraiture. Of the 153 shots we did, probably 10% made the cut personally.

auntie says she looks like me with make up. she says it's a compliment. my sis and i don't know how to react to comments like these hahaha....

The next Batman (with Robin?)

Will Robin be introduced in the next installment of Batman (by Christopher Nolan)?
Johnny Depp as "The Riddler" and Philip Seymour Hoffman as "The Penguin"?

How not to be a hit?

A song a day 89

I can't see what he once meant to me
Do you think it's time I put it out of my mind
Do you think it's time I put it out of my mind

I can't see what he once meant to me
Do you think it's time I put it out of my mind
I can't see what he once meant to me
Do you think it's time I put it out of my mind

I can't see what he once meant to me
Do you think it's time I put it out of my mind
I can't see what he once meant to me
Do you think it's time I put it out of my mind
I think it's time I let my love for him die

Urban Dew Series

Was over at Esplanade last weekend for Baybeats. Checked out Analog Girl. I have to search for the issue of Time where she was mentioned as one of a number of young upcoming Asian artists.

Saw the visual/installation art piece at the Esplanade Concourse. Joey Soh. familiar. Think it's ys's friend.

Left perspective.


I think my blog is limited enough to publish this...

your friend is joey? her art work at esplanade?
joey soh. yeah.. the metal trees at esplanade.
saw them liao
how is it?


[insert random sentences making sense only when read while smoking your secret stash]

i've forwarded ur feedback to her. and she is deeply appreciative:
[insert msn chat between friend and artist]


f78k lah. I econs grad and armchair critic. but since she says that she has come to accept and "come what may", she is using this piece as a manifestation of her new found freedom ah? The emancipation of joey soh.

hhaha. she said u almost like pro art critic! she is quite random la.. she shoot first without thinking at times.. in fact often times...


Anyway, I thought the lantern thing they have going at the linkway between the concourse and the rear of the centre is pretty cool.

But upon closer inspection, the inscriptions were a little suspicious.

Tah!

Fans of Lulu

This was in April. Obviously unhappy with her hair do(n't). Went to the Dog Run at Bishan Park today. More pics later.

Probably spent more time waiting for a parking lot than being in the park.

STTA and Lee Bee Wah

Let's refresh out memories....

MP Lee Bee Wah. Brand new Singapore Table Tennis Association President. She became the president of the association in Jul 08. Before her was Choo Wee Khiang.

The chance of winning a medal in Beijing Olympics was really quite high considering that Singapore Women's team was seeded second.

A month before the olympics and you change the president who started the engineering work of building up the potential?

One must remember that Choo Wee Khiang made racist remarks before. About driving through Little India and find it pitch dark. And it wasn't because of the time of the day. Or night. And not because the street lightings were out. And he was fined and jailed for abetting in a corruption case. He was a former MP of Jalan Besar GRC. That's where I live in.

But still, when the women's team did win a silver medal, Mr Teo (SNOC prez) did credit Choo Wee Khiang for having started it all. Nothing too lavish. he is, afterall, no longer the STTA president. He was replaced in Jul 08. Nobody questioned why.

So what was the bigger news after the girls won the silver medal? It was the whole Lee Bee Wah fires entire committee saga leading to her apologising 2 weeks after.

What does this look like to you?

Making audible what is unspoken

The leaders up north have a weird knack for rousing racial sentiments.
Previously they will say that the local malays (in singapore) are treated unfairly.
Recently one of them mentioned that chinese in malaysia are just immigrants and should not be given equal rights. I am not sure if he was speaking about the china chinese influx.
Mum was saying that maybe more malaysian chinese will migrate to singapore.
Doubt so.
There is this issue about foreign workers in our midst recently. Converting a school into a hostel. I would think that the bottom line is not about the big issue. It's the nitty gritty details that people cannot live with.

Moving along

The mixture of smells from ghee slowly being heated and pungent wafts of mutton curry that drifted in and out of the waiting area was wondrous.

A Hindi pop number was blaring from the mini-compo hidden partially away from sight behind the prata counter. The high-pitched female voice was audible above the cacophonous symphony provided by the clanging spatula on wok as the mustachioed portly Indian man stir-fried his mee goreng and the low drone of passing traffic outside the shop.

The eatery was unassuming. No "air-con", no cushioned seats. The layers of peeling paint above the counter revealed the many change of ownership. The previous owner preferred duck egg blue over straw yellow. The present owner must have hoped that his choice of cream white will give the eatery a new breath of life.

The young man packing my "2 egg, 1 kosong" was mouthing the words of the song on the radio. "Mutton or fish?".
"Mutton."

"Tiga enam!" He shouted as I moved towards the cashier.

Bought!

Dispatch!

On the way to me!

Google Chrome

I so saw this coming.....

The Googlelisation of the web.

After buying youtube and who knows what else, they now have a web browser of their own.

Introducing the Google Chrome...
Like the slow release of Google Earth for mac previously, the mac version is not out as yet.

Some of the features include incognito mode which allows the user to surf porn site without being found out. But they tout it as a feature to prevent accidental revealing of passwords and sensitive private information. Like the fact that you actually like midget porn.

There is also a safe mode to alert users to a possible unsafe website.

But really, it is not that fantastic from what I see on youtube.

But I could be wrong.

A song a day 88

I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place
Even your emotions have an echo in so much space

move on....

nothing interesting here....