Racial Harmony Day

Was show-n-tell time with a purpose: to achieve better insights and understanding of each other's racial quirks facts and fictions and hence promote racial harmony in the organisation. Was already so tired from endless chain of meetings and discussions, so self was not too motivated to gain deep insights into fellow cubists' racial history and customs. Was also fantasizing that this is happening somewhere more conducive, like a spa or beach resort.

Inspite of tired self, learned a few things (there are always new things to learn) from Elan who presented on Indian culture and tradition. One new knowledge gained is that ancient Hindus DO EAT Cows, but somehow along the way Cows became revered and elevated to the high role of "sacred" and "non-edible" and so Hindus cease to eat them (yay! go Cow!). Elan also added that another explanation for the sudden upgrade in status of Cows is that these magnificient creatures work the farm and if all Cows are slaughtered, NOBODY will work the farm and feed the people (plus, the milk thingy). Not sure if that is really true. Half of me thinks Elan is bullshitting, the other half agrees.

Methinks Singaporean multi-racial pops are generally "harmonised", the last racial riot seems to have happened at some other distant planets, and the next one is quite unthinkable. Unless we succumb to the taunts, insinuations and the stream of invectives coming from naughty & restless neighbours who have some old axe to grind with the political body here. Arrrgh!

An Untitled Zen Story

Once in a while we come across words, phrases or the whole whopping book that move us, lift up our spirit, or simply nudge our lazy selves to the endless possibilities of good in this world. Then there are those that make us smile and think and shout "A-ha" in our mind. This is one of them.

Two monks were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was falling. Coming around the bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.
"Come on, girl," said the first monk. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

The second monk did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't go near females," he said. "It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"

"I left the girl there," the first monk said. "Are you still carrying her?"

I am asking myself, are there any thoughts that should've been left where they are supposed to be but still occupying space in my mind?

Drainspotting.

Now, before you ask me why would anyone want to view pictures of manhole covers and other exciting-as-watching-toe-nails-grow paraphernalias, let me just say this word: DESIGN. Yep. Look at how these items are designed (some of which we touched or step on almost everyfreakingday. Go HERE.

yeah I know, I kinda need to go out and get meself somekind of life.

Amanda writes beautiful poetry. Though I dropped out from Lit class in JC (and literally dropped out too as I fell asleep during Keats & Mary Shelley & whatnots), I do find, at times, words move me deeply. Nice work Amanda. So nice I am going to repeat it here (copied without permission):

Your eyes tell me things your words don’t.

Your heart tells you things your mind doesn’t hear.

You thought that love would explode like a million starfires,

champagne comets in the sky.

Instead, love is quiet,

and infinite as the sands that cradle the oceans.

Mik's Gallery.

Am trying to set up this photo gallery for Mikail (link deleted - causing some puters to crash). Arrrgh.

Cocoon.

Was half-asleep when Mikail suddenly crept up to me (i could make up, in the darkness his slightly oversized head bobbing up n down) and curled up by my side. I looked down and I see this person, this small person, in all his entirety, curled up and snuggled beside me. I could not imagine a more beautiful feeling than that.

Cable Car.

Was mulling over what to do and where to go when suddenly the idea of going for a cable-car ride suddenly surfaced. Wow. Cable-car ride. Suddenly I feel like being tranported back to the 70s. It should be fun, why should it not? Despite my attempt to enthused her with the most exciting-amazing cable-car ride of her life, Lena seems quite adamant that I would be the only one enjoying it. She, meanwhile, will go along just so I would not make a monkey out of meself there (yeah, sure)

The plan was to start from Mount Faber, cable-car to Sentosa and back. Driving up the slopes of Mt. Faber itself is quite a pleasure, with the greeneries and all. The air was fresh and soft fluffy clouds floated high above. Trivia time: do you know that Mount Faber was named after English captain Charles Edward Faber who built the narrow road to the summit? And that Mount Faber is the 2nd highest hill in Singapore?


Paid $32 for 3 adults (baby f-o-c). We chose the 3rd Generation Glass Cabin (wowee, are u excited already? duh!) which allow us to look at those riding the Normal Cabin with much disdain and abhorr as we thumped up our nose at their general direction. Okay, I make those up. The Glass Cabin is just a see-through version of the normal cabin, and that the seat is arranged in such a way that you will be facing outward, instead of each other in the Normal Cabin.

The cableway stretches some 1.6km from Mount Faber to Sentosa. Midway stood the Harbour Front Tower Two station. Everytime the cabin leaves the station it was like being thrown out of your HDB Balcony, especially since the Glass Cabin provides all-round-see through capability. Mikail seemed to be enjoying himself lots, while Lena was quite scared initially (and no, I shall not make an issue out of that. Gawd, she read this blog).

Down below, I can see the vast patches of equatorial rainforest and the occasional remains of red tiled roof of colonial style bungalows that dotted the hill. Far away towards the horizon, the city skyline of Singapore Financial District loomed fine and majestic. Okay, maybe not that majestic. fine and...ummm...expensive?

The entire ride took less than 30 minutes and we were back safely on solid ground at Mount Faber before the full joy of the ride really sink in. I was happy because I managed to take a few shots and relived, albeit for a short moment, the joy I had riding cable car when I was a kid.

I know, cable-car ride can be as exciting as watching paint dry to some (or most of the younger generation today) but I will go again at least for the calming, peaceful effect it has on my mind. Go for a cable-car ride if you looking for some peace while gliding high above. heh.

Of Anger & Betrayal

Lena mighty upset today. It seems that her scheming conniving sly armpit smelly Boss did something terrible behind her back ( and i tot all Bosses do that?). A letter of complaint from a "client" reached the Biggest Boss (thats the Big Palooka at the topmost rung of the corporate food chain) and without much of an investigation (that, should mean asking her for her side of the story) directed that an almighty admonition be given to her (via a redeployment to another location). Small Boss shook hard in her pants and instantly admonished her (Lena, that is). She cried not so much for the "punishment', not so much for the "admonition" and not so much for being complained unjustly by her blardy "client", but more so because after all the hard work she put in, she wasn't given the due respect of having a chance to say her side of the story. She felt betrayed. Sacrificed. Victimised. Fucked. Okay enough vituperation.

Anyway, that said client is a real yegg. Yegg? Robber.

New Face...Bovination v.1.2

Heheh..

change bloggie face....ummm...life still the same tho... :(

A Terrible Loss
This morning I cried with much pain and anguish after discovering that my beloved NOKIA 6610 had drowned to death. My stupidest of stupidest maid threw the bedsheet & pillowcase, WITH MY HP, into the washing machine. I can't help but to imagine the horrible torture it must have suffered, being tossed and turned with all those dirty linen and having its life snuffed out in this watery contraption.

I tried in vain to resuscitate, opened it up and even gave CPR (via blowing a hairdryer at it), but alas to no avail.

I can only sit and look at its disassembled body and hope, somehow and somewhere, in a handphone heaven, it will find its final and true happiness.

Goodbye & May you rest in pieces peace.

90 / 10 Principle
This is from email. Normally (when I m normal, which may NOT be normal to you), I will NOT open email with self-help / self-improvement / self-deprecating etc etc kind of mails. I really do not need therapy via email. Nor do I need to be told to smell the flowers yadda yadda yadda...but this one I read and found it quite nice. Its the E + R = O thingy that I posted sometime back.

Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change yr life (at least the way u react to situations). What is this principle? 10% of life is made up of what happens 2 u. 90% is decided by hw u react. What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car fm breaking down; the plane being late in arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%. How? By yr reaction. U cannot control a red light, but YOU can
control how u react.

Let's use an example.

You are eating breakfast with yr family. Yr daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto yr business shirt. U have no control over what just happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react. U curse. U harshly scold yr daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, u turn to yr spouse & criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. U storm upstairs & change yr shirt. Back downstairs, u find yr daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast & get ready for school. She misses the bus. Yr spouse must leave immediately for work. U rush to the car & drive yr daughter to school. Because u are late, u drive 110km/h in a 80 km/h speed limit. After a 15-min delay & throwing $300 & some demerit points (traffic fine) away, u arrive at school. Yr daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. U arrive at the office 20mins late, because of how u reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?
A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?

The answer is obviously D. U had no control over what happened with the coffee. How u reacted in those 5secs is what caused yr bad day.

Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over u. Yr daughter is abt to cry. U gently say, "It's ok honey, u just need to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel u rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt & yr briefcase, u come back down in time to look thro the window & see yr child getting on the bus. She turns & waves. U and your spouse kiss before u go to work. U arrive 5min early & cheerfully greet the staff. Yr boss comments on hw good the day u r having. Notice the difference? 2 different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different. Why? Because of how u REACTED. U really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by yr reaction. Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle.

If someone says something negative about u, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. U don't have to let the negative comment affect u. React properly & it will not ruin yr day. A wrong reaction cud result in losing a freind, being fired, getting stressed out, etc. How do u react if someone cuts u off in traffic? Do u lose yr temper? Pound on the steering wheel & hurt yr own fingers? Do u curse? Does yr blood pressure rocket? Do u try & bump them? WHO CARES if u arrive 10secs later at work? Why let the cars ruin yr drive? Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.

You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy & time into finding another job. The plane is late; it is going to mangle yr schedule for the day. Why take out yr frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passengers. Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and u will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it.

The 90-10 principle is incredible. It seems simple commonsense but very few apply this principle! The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, court trials, problems & heartaches. They never seem to be a success in life. Bad days follow bad days. Terrible things seem to be constantly happening. There is constant stress, lack of joy, & broken relationships. Worry consumes time. Anger breaks friendships & life seems dreary and is not enjoyed to the fullest. Friends are lost. Life is a bore & often seems cruel. Does this describe you? If so, do not be discouraged. You can be different! Understand & apply the 90/10 principle. It will change your life!

You read till finish! wowee...congrats.

SARS ART Project

Should've discovered THIS SITE earlier. We are now at the declining portion of the SARs attack curve, and everybody seems to have forgotten how silly, paranoid and scared we were back then when SARs came a-knocking. The SARS Art Project reminds, albeit in ways some may find "entertaining". Problem with "entertaining" reminders / advices is that no one takes the message seriously and the importance of the message got marginalised. Trivialised. Forgotten. That goes to you too, Gurmit!

Heres a sample from the site, a contribution from a Japanese blogger, illustrating a "sarswomen":

In Comparison

“There are some who feel like that conditions are such that they can attack us there,” Bush told reporters at the White House. “My answer is bring them on…”
- George W. Bush, President of the United States

"Some of you may die. But that's a sacrifice I am willing to make."
- Lord Farquaad, cartoon king in Shrek

some people are just very brave when the real dying & killing is not them.

T3

No, its not the latest addition to Changi Airport. Its Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator 3: Rise of the Machine.

Caught the 2.45pm show today at Orchard Ciniplex (what? not GV Grand? well, Lena wanted to get this funny looking jeans at Blisse, so...you know...its kinda life-n-death thingy that they must get 'em, but thats another blog altogether).

The last Terminator movie was like...ten years ago? Arnold I'll-be-back Schwarzenegger is like nearly 60 years old but his body is still well toned and muscular. The story in T3 is based on the same premises as its prequels - Robot/Killing machine going back in time to kill leaders (or key fighters) of the human rebel so as to alter the future outcome of the War between Human and Machine. Of cos, in T3 this time we get to know how Skynet (the computer network that became "self-aware" and started to fight their creator - humans) came to being and how Judgment day comes about. Don't worry, no spoiler here. Fabulous special effects (i.e great car chase) as the production team tries very hard NOT to rely too much on CGIs.

Nick Stahl and Claire Danes did a fantastic job with their characterization of John Connor & Kate Brewster. And of course, Kritianna Loken, as the Terminatrix, did excellent as a cool, sexy killing machine.

Terminators from the future arrive at our time-dimension naked (just as they did in T1 & T2), so we have a short but sufficient view of Arnold & Loken's butt to ogle at. Heheh tho I am not keen in ogling the former, the latter was...ahem...terminating.

Great pyrotechnics & explosions aside, all the Terminator movies so far have strong "babes" factor in 'em - Linda Hamilton's transformation from frumpy waitress to kick-ass mother, Claire Danes' changes from an average-getting-married girl to machine-buster & Connor's second in command, and finally Kristianna's sexy Terminatrix.

Like Matrix Reloaded, T3 ends with a beginning, so you can expect more of Nick Stahl & the rest. Am not too sure about Arnold though, by the time they make T4, he could be busy governing California. I'd vote for him if I'm in California then.

Here's the Terminatrix (or TX as they call it in the movie) Kristianna Loken.....cool...


and here's Arnold reprising, time and again, his Terminator role (words in pic are mine)...



hey, but overall...I enjoyed the movie! :)

Proud moment...just a little.
Was at Tampines Central after an unnecessary detour to fetch Mik when I chanced upon an illegal peddling of pirated CD-ROMs / softwares. The shallow part of me allows a short wowz of delight and instantaneously rationalises getting them to improve my skills, and that this is the only way NOT-RICH people like me can get hold of ridiculously priced softwares. Maya version 5 was staring me in the face and seductively offering herself in her shiny reflective jewel case for a give-away price of $8.00 (original retails at some $800 or so). C'mon, its for skills upgrading and self-improvement for crying out loud.

I left the place empty handed.

Skills upgrading and self-improvement is more than just about being able to do more things or doing them better. Its about who you are when nobody is watching. I want to be that "better man" Robbie William is singing about.

Wowee! Go me!

Courage
For those who are faltering in the choppy waters of love, or of troubled friendship or simply feeling beaten by the roughs of day, I offer this fav poems (by Charlotte Brontë)

Life, believe, is not a dream,
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain Foretells a pleasant day:
Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom, Oh, why lament its fall?
Rapidly, merrily, Life's sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily, Enjoy them as they fly.

What though death at times steps in,
And calls our Best away?
What though Sorrow seems to win,
O'er hope a heavy sway?
Yet Hope again elastic springs, Unconquered, though she fell,
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
Still strong to bear us well.
Manfuly, fearlessly,
The day of trial bear,
For gloriously,
victoriously,
Can courage quell despair!

- Charlotte Brontë

The Rain Stopped Pouring But The Sun Never Really Shine

I can't really find words to start blogging this. This is terribly sad. The Iranian twins died today after undergoing an ops to separate them apart. Everyone involved directly in the ops are crying, and those waiting to hear the good news are devastated. Perhaps the prior success of the Singapore neuro surgeons sort of buoyed everybody's expectation. I was already imagining reading news of their slow but sure recovery from the Hospital after the ops, and how they would appear smiling and talking uncontrollably and making jokes about facing one another...

They led a really normal life despite being joined at the head....cycling, reading, attending schools...

I am expecting life to go the way of fairy tales & feel-good movies. I, the naive.

Rain

Its pouring outside. Its very cold in the cube farm. Everyone seems to be busy or occupied or just glued to their monitor. I'm confronted with tonnes of things that demand my undivided attention. I know how to handle this. I'll go make meself a cuppa of hot Java and plan thereon. Ooops, wait a minute, I am hearing a call from nature. And the phone is ringing. Arrgh...I need a secretary. You know, office needs...typing, answering calls, those things.

Igor!
This is weekend post. Too bz :P

Went to Igor's Haunted Theme Restaurant with Lena, Rina, Matthew, Caroline, YP, Doris & TL. Igor is at The Oasis, Stadium Boulevard. Coughed out 70 bucks (thats 140 for two) to be a "victim" (they don't have guests, just victims - which is just right if you are those really "scare-able" type).

We were led up the dark spiral Stairway to Hell from the Devil's Distillery Bar, which leads through a complex horror-theme maze. In the Demons' Dungeon, various zombies in the Graveyard and Igor himself in the Slabratory performing one of his many experiments, are just a few scenes that 'Victims' will encounter before arriving into the Grand Haunted Hall. Lena was truly scared by these (funny actually) creatures. Inside, a sumptuous three-course feast was served by Igor's gang of wacky demonic / ghostly waiter. Throughout dinner, 'Victims' are entertained by four thrilling and comical theatre shows performed by Igor himself, Vampira and Riff Raff - the butler.

In one of the events where a group of victims were brought up and line up on the stage, they were made to kiss each other (on the mouth - lips to lips) was quite hilarious as this one ang moh tried to run away from having to kiss the MC! Heheh...the gals were sporting though, they locked lips with no hestitation!

Another notable occasion: during a group photo, one of the victim was stripped to his underwear (note to self: always wear nice hole-less underwear when going to Igor).

Got meself a black pepper steak (which is the highlight of the night for me) and free overflow of coke. Overall, the meal was a-okay but the entertainment was fabulous!

Has been quite a long while since I club n pub the night away. It was fun.

will post pics once i get this scanner thingy up...heres a pic of Igor's main dining hall:

Band Of Brothers
Spend most of the night watching Band Of Brothers on disc. Am at Part 7, where Easy Co. just recovered from the deadly cold of Bastogne and dragging their ass into Hagenau. Capt. Winters is really good, remind me of one CSM during my times with the 2nd Guards....of cos my experience is no way comparable to what shit they got in Europe then, but shit nonetheless.

Woweee....can't wait to finish up the series later....